Love in Pink & Drown in Gold
by Rizu Neko-Chan
Summary: A longstanding culture clash between three races threatens the lives of millions, while two individuals from the royal families dance in the center of the storm. A boy from the race of demons and a human girl is all it takes for whole kingdoms to crumble around them. If they can save their people, can they still save themselves? [AU - KxI]
1. x::prologue::

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a king. He was the king of the kingdom of the High Humans, humans gifted with animal attributes and special abilities credited to the beasts on Old Earth. The king was without a queen. This king did not want a queen. He wanted children. This king took a wife regardless. The only way this king was going to be able to have children was if he had a queen. He kept his queen hidden from view from the kingdom, claiming that she was very delicate and was sensitive to sunlight. The kingdom believed him.

Soon the king had a child. The child was not born to his wife, but taken from another family. The kingdom did not know it. They accepted this child as the new prince and heir to the throne.

Then, a year later, another child.

And another.

Within seven years, the king had a total of five male heirs, none of them being his. Then the king heard of some news that the king and queen of the Angel Kingdom had a son. He "produced" one more offspring- a girl. This girl was to be his tool. This girl he would propose to marry to the prince of the Angel Kingdom. But he selected a baby that began to develop a slight deformity that caused her to be less than beautiful. The king did not love this child. It could not be his own if it wasn't perfect like he was.

Once he had disposed of the old child, he found a new little girl that looked similar to he. He mercifully kept the name her birthparents granted her…Ichigo. This girl would be the one to unite the kingdoms of the Angels and the Humans. Then, once the armies were united under the bonds of marriage, they would move to defeat the Demon Kingdom.

What the human king did not know was that the king of demons also had a son…

* * *

(A.N./ Ladies and gentleman...Rizu is back. *evil grin*)


	2. IMPONO::part 1

7:53 PM.

_A light, sweet-smelling breeze blows across an open sky, the sun setting into the mountain horizon with brilliant shades of pink, orange, and crystal gold. The twilight air is thick with the pungent smell of browned grass and approaching summer. Shadows cast themselves at the feet of a young girl, who stands in the gardens of the palace. She traces her fingers along the branches of a cherry blossom tree, then sighs._

* * *

From behind her came a man, who called, "Pardon my intrusion, Your Highness! I just received word that the Prince has arrived at the gates and will be here in a matter of minutes." The princess by the name of Ichigo smiled.

"Thank you, Sir Vincent." The young man bowed cordially and smiled a tired smile that seemed to have been worn for too long. He paused momentarily, took a deep breath, and nodded to Ichigo, tipping his hat.

"My lady, you look lovely. I noticed that your hair is down."

"Dressed to impress," Ichigo said with a weak smile and a slight wave of her hand. "You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Sir Vincent cracked another quirky, short smile before he disappeared behind the archway leading into the palace gardens. His footsteps tap-tap-tapped off, but Ichigo still watched the place where he left. She didn't even realize she was still staring at the place where she was. Her mind was so absent that she wasn't even sure what it was she was thinking about. She just seemed to clouded up in her head, like her thoughts had wadded up into a giant pile of mush.

Ichigo twirled a branch of flowers in her fingers as her gaze finally flickered from the place where her servant once stood. At least she was proving her body was capable of some kind of motion. Her white dress swayed in the breeze that swept over her and pulled goose bumps up to the surface of her skin.

When she lost interest in her fiddling, Ichigo took a seat on a small stone bench. Glancing to her left, she saw a cat sitting under some brush. She recognized it as the fat old kitchen cat, Krinkles. He waddled over to where Ichigo was and lazily hopped up on the bench where Ichigo was. Ichigo kindly welcomed him onto her lap. She ran her fingers though the silky soft fur of the purring feline. Krinkles meowed in pleasure, kneading Ichigo's lap with care.

Ichigo smiled. "You're lucky, Krinkles. Being a cat must be pretty cool."

_Pretty boring_, Krinkles meowed.

"Better boring than unpleasant," Ichigo mumbled. "You don't have a care in the world."

_I suppose that's pretty accurate… _meowed Krinkles. _All I really have to worry about is getting kicked out of the kitchen by that heath department guy…_ "Exciting," Ichigo mumbled sarcastically, smiling at the cat on her lap. "Your life is just so full of adventure, isn't it?"

Well your life isn't exactly adventure, is it Princess? Krinkles meowed in retort. He let out a big cat yawn.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo said. "I'm getting Prince Charming, aren't I?"

_But what's the adventure in that? _Krinkles replied. _Isn't there supposed to be some kind of battle with swords and dragons and stuff? Most adventure stories I've ever heard are like that._

Ichigo sighed. "Look, I-"

_Sorry to say it, but you've gotta hear this from someone,_ Krinkles admitted. _Even if it's from me. You've either got to suck it up, stop spacing out and stop whining so much…or you should call the whole thing off._

"But I-"

_You know what I'm talking about. Look, if I were you, I would choose answer A._

"Which is…?"

_You don't like him, _Krinkles finished, mewing. _You should just be happy. Make the best of it. Don't be so ungrateful._

"I suppose so," Ichigo replied. "It's just that I'd rather not force myself to be happy, but just, you know, be happy already."

_Sometimes you have to make the best with what you've got, _Krinkles mewed quietly. _Right now you have just about the best you can get anyway. He's the prince. Can't get much better than that._

"I just wanted my happily ever after…fairytale ending and all that."

_That's not how real life is, sorry to break it to you._

"But I am a princess…isn't there some kind of exception?"

_To reality? I suppose, in some cases, there would be…_

"So maybe I could actually get a happily ever after?"

_Just make the best of the one coming to you._

Ichigo frowned. She huffed a long, hard sigh and glanced down at her feet that she folded on top of each other absent-mindedly.

"I just thought of something," she declared, keeping her voice low as she spoke to Krinkles. "You know what usually happens around this time? In all the stories I've read, this is where the valiant knight comes in and rescues me." Krinkles's ear twitched. His whiskers itched.

_Isn't Masaya the valiant knight? _Krinkles mewed.

"I guess he is the knight in the story," Ichigo huffed. "He's not really the bad guy, so I guess don't need rescuing, huh?" Krinkles lifted a paw and rubbed his face. Something was up. Something was always about to happen when his whiskers itched. Suddenly, Ichigo heard a voice that wasn't in her head, like a feline's was, but right in her ear.

"The question is who exactly is causing your sadness. Whoever hurts you is the bad guy."

Ichigo gasped at the new voice. She was too scared to turn her head. The voice didn't sound like Masaya's at all. It had just come out of nowhere. Krinkles sat on Ichigo's lap and silently stared at whoever was behind Ichigo, not daring to move as Ichigo was frozen.

"Masaya?" Ichigo asked hesitantly, a futile attempt to calm herself- with the little glimmer of hope that this _wasn't_ someone who was about to kill her.

"Guess again," replied the voice sneakily. It was the voice of a man…but it held a strange dialect that Ichigo didn't recognize.

"I…who are you?" Ichigo asked weakly. Her voice caught in her throat. Her words were almost a whisper.

"The valiant knight." The voice paused. A breeze picked up. Ichigo held her breath. "But you can call me…Kish." Ichigo swallowed her gasp. She drew a shuddering breath and chocked out more words that spilled out of her mouth in a cluttered mess of a question.

"Kish? Like, like P…Prince Kish?" The character known as Kish chuckled malevolently. Ichigo bit her lip. Her palms began to sweat in anxiety.

"Am I _that _famous around here? I'm flattered. Yes, Prince Kish. Glad to be of acquaintance, your Highness." Ichigo made to turn around, but she felt Kish grab both of her arms with his cold hands. They felt like they were huge, and they were able to grip both of her thin arms as easily as someone would grip the handle of a sword. Ichigo heard footsteps approaching.

"Hold your breath if you want to stay awake," Kish breathed into her ear.

"But-" Ichigo started, her consciousness not fully recognized. Her mind was being thrown into a frenzy from all of the suddenness of this appearance. Before she could say another word, she felt a heavy force closing in on her that made her insides turn over. A powerful cloud filled her mouth, ears, and nostrils. The scenery all around her blended into itself and bent inwards. She felt her mind slip as she let out a gasp, trying to breathe. She only inhaled what felt like toxic fumes. Then, she lost consciousness.

* * *

Ichigo, once awake, felt like she had just slept for a while. Her body was relaxed. She felt oddly calm. Then, she remembered what had just happened. Though the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, and her eyes blinked a little, she tried to keep still. She didn't open her eyes, but tried to take in her scenery without revealing that she was awake. Her fingers felt something soft. She was lying on something familiar. She moved her leg slightly. Then, she realized what it was. Satin. It felt good against her skin. Ichigo decided that pretending to be asleep wouldn't do her any good as to figure out what was going on. If she was going to die, she might as well get it over with. So, she groaned a bit.

"Mmmh…" she moaned, blinking her eyes open and shifting her legs some more. As her eyes adjusted to the scenery around her, she found herself staring at a stone ceiling. She turned her head to the side and was looking across a large bed covered with black satin sheets. On the opposite wall was a desk with a mess of scrolls and books on it, as well as piles of boxes stacked high. Thinking this was strange, she propped herself up on her elbows.

"Awake?" Kish said from the other side of the room. He was standing, looking out an open window that was facing towards the bed where Ichigo lay. Her eyes adjusted to the light, and her eyes grew wide when she got a better look at Kish's back, where there was displayed one of the biggest wingspans Ichigo had ever seen. Granted, she hadn't seen very many wingspans in her lifetime to begin with. The Demons and the Angels were two different people apart from Ichigo's race, but she hadn't seen nearly as much Demons as she had seen angels. Ichigo had been kept in the castle for so long that she wasn't often allowed to venture anywhere that Demons would be present. So here was one of the most powerful she had ever seen…and, for all she knew, he was about to kill her.

Sheltered as she was, Ichigo knew who Kish was. She had heard of him many times before. He was a prince, like Masaya. But he wasn't the good kind. He was the first and only son of the king of the Demon Kingdom. Rumors were that he was bred as a fighter and was hard-boiled like his father. Among the rumors was word that he was also a man of good looks. Ichigo had always scoffed at these, but now that she was actually here…she wanted to believe anything good she had heard about this prince of demons. So if handsome looks counted as a good attribute, than Ichigo was going to try to focus on anything good about her soon-to-be killer (she had convinced herself by now that she was going to die).

"Where am I?" she asked hesitantly. Kish turned from the window and strolled over to the bed where Ichigo was sitting, hands behind his head.

"You're in my bedroom," he said. He cracked a smirk. "Sorry it's so messy."

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat when she got a good look at Kish. Whoever said that he was a man of good looks was telling the good truth. His skin was pale- almost as white as snow. He looked to be about a head taller than Ichigo, though he was almost as thin as she was. His costume was drastically different than what the angels' or humans' was. He was dressed in something that Ichigo recognized as the typical style for the demon nation- denim pants that almost covered his feet, a red shirt, and a black jacket over that. His dark green hair was grown out in front of his ears (which were of abnormal length). But, of everything about him, the first thing Ichigo noticed was his eyes. They were a bright, piercing gold. The most brilliant gold she had ever seen. His eyes shined like the sunset she had seen earlier. She was immediately entranced by them, following his gaze as he watched her steadily.

"Who…you're…Prince Kish?" Ichigo murmured incoherently. She continued to follow his eyes as he walked over and sat on the bed where she was.

"The one and only," he replied formally. "And you are Princess Ichigo…haven't we already introduced ourselves?" Ichigo's face hardened and she frowned, turning her head stiffly.

"Why am I here?" she asked curtly. "What's going on?"

"Normally I wouldn't explain the circumstances to captives, but I'll make a special exception for you, Princess," Kish purred slyly. He stood up and began to pace in his room. Ichigo's glanced followed him as his back was turned, but she looked away whenever he faced her. "You see, I heard about the wedding between you and the prince of the Angel Kingdom. I also heard that this arrangement was made in order to formally unite the armies of the humans and angels…? Naturally, I couldn't let this happen. So I planned to kill the princess, thinking she was the easiest target.

"I've been lurking around the palace for the last few weeks, trying to find a place to strike. I've only seen you a few of those times, and, when I finally had my opportunity tonight…I brought you back here."

"You're going to kill me now?" Ichigo asked, forcing a confident voice.

"No," Kish replied bluntly. "I've changed my mind since then. In the hours you have been asleep, I have sent a message to the King, demanding that he break up the marriage in exchange for the return of his daughter."

"He's not my dad," Ichigo said coldly. "He doesn't really care about me like that. I'm just his tool. The plan won't work, Kish. He won't want me back. You might as well just kill me now. It would probably save you some trouble." Kish glanced at Ichigo with concern, one eyebrow raised. After Ichigo thought about it, she figured that he probably thought she was some kind of crazy, suicidal girl. Kish, however, made no comment on her last remark and instead shook his head drearily, stopping his pacing.

"Well then who is your dad?" Kish asked with seemingly great interest, sitting down next to Ichigo.

"Why should I tell you?" Ichigo spat. She inched farther away from Kish. "He's no one of significant importance, so you can't send a ransom to him either."

"So kill me for asking questions," Kish said, shrugging. "I was just curious. You don't need to be so uptight."

"I'm being kidnapped by the prince of demons and held in his room. You're lecturing me on being _uptight_?" Ichigo couldn't help but crack a smile at her own remark. Kish let out a breath as he smirked.

"You have a point. So…if the _king_ isn't your dad…who is?"

Ichigo, a bit annoyed over Kish's changing of the subject, said, "He's gone into hiding since the government took me away from them at a young age. It's a…long story."

"I'm listening," Kish said, propping his head up on his hand. Ichigo looked annoyed.

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you my story of all people? Some of my good friends don't even know about this!"

"Well it's not like you're ever going to see me again," Kish pointed out casually, pretending to pick at his nails. "And I was just curious…"

Ichigo sighed. "Why do you care?"

"Would 'I'm bored' be a good enough answer?" Kish said.

"Do I have to?"

"Or I'll move you off the bed and you can sleep on the floor," Kish threatened, grinning mischievously. Ichigo rolled her eyes and sighed. Admittedly, Kish had won.

"Fine…where do I start?"

"Who's your real family?

"Well…I'm the only child of Shintaro and Sakura Momomiya. I was three years old when the government came to our door, demanding that my parents give me up for inspection. They were forced to agree, and the inspectors found me to be the one child among hundreds who looked the most similar to the king. My "father", the king, was secretly taking children and passing them off for his own. The king had a daughter that he stole at birth, but she had developed a deformity on her face that caused her to develop wrinkles at a young age. They decided that she wasn't beautiful enough to become the new princess, so they found me instead. The old one was sent to a far away country and never returned. They raised me to be their tool, their feminine icon of the Human Kingdom among the five other brothers I've never met."

"Wow, that sounds bad," Kish said sympathetically. "Then what happened?"

"Well then the Angel Kingdom and Human Kingdom decided to marry the prince and princess of the two kingdoms together. Masaya and I have to get married for the two armies to formally unite." Ichigo glanced up at Kish, who was listening with great interest. "Why am I telling you all of this anyway?"

"Sometimes it's best to get stuff like that off your back," Kish mumbled. "Just talking to someone can help."

"Help what?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Help you feel at ease."

"But I don't feel any better…" Ichigo argued.

"Well now you don't have to sleep on the floor," Kish added with a smirk. "The Human Kingdom really sucks, huh?

"Not really. They just have some corruption in the political system," Ichigo murmured. "Anyway, it's still my kingdom. There are good people in it that rely on me, so I have to go through with this marriage whether I want to or not."

"You don't like Masaya…the angel prince?" Kish asked.

"Of course I like him!" Ichigo objected. "He's nice and all, but I just don't love him. He's too polite, and…not very attractive, if you get what I'm saying."

"Perfectly. He's boring."

Ichigo giggled.

"Sort of. Nice, but…"

"Boring," Kish finished bluntly. He flashed Ichigo a puppy-dog "I'm right and you know it" grin. Ichigo smiled. "See, now you've even spilt to me about your love life. Feel any better?" Kish asked.

"A little bit," said Ichigo. "I still can't believe I told you all that stuff…thanks for listening."

"Thanks for telling," said Kish. "I'd tell you all about me, but it's pretty simple. Dad wanted me to be the biggest, toughest demon ever. Dad trained me to the bone since I was a kid. Dad got sick. I trained myself, gained a personality. That's about it."

"Your real dad is the king?" Ichigo asked.

"That's right. We try to hide it, but he's not in very good condition right now. We fear he might pass away soon."

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said sympathetically. "It's kind of you that you try to hide his faults. No one likes looking weak."

"Yes, well," Kish sighed with a roll of his eyes, "my dad is one of those people who likes to look stronger than he is…promise you won't tell?"

"Promise," Ichigo agreed. "As long as you don't tell anyone that I'm not really from a royal family."

"It's a deal," Kish said with a smirk. Ichigo extended a hand, which Kish took and shook enthusiastically. Ichigo stared at Kish's hand oddly. Not only was it way out of proportion from the rest of his body because of its size, it closed in her hand like a father's hand grasps the hand of a baby. Why was she even making deals with a _demon_ in the first place? Something inside Ichigo stirred as she turned over this thought in her head.

Kish's glance went from Ichigo to her hand. His eyes held a warm look to them that seemed so serious, but at the same time so curious. He held onto Ichigo's hand and brought it to his face, where he gave her hand a gentle kiss. Ichigo yanked her hand away instantly, cradling it as if Kish had just slapped it. She stared at him with an alarmed expression.

"Has anyone told you how lovely you are?" he said graciously, smiling happily. Ichigo blushed and lifted her hand to her face.

"Yes…I'm a Princess, remember? …But I have to hand it to you, you're the first demon to have told me that…" Kish seemed to snap out of his trance, choosing to look at the floor.

"I'm probably the first demon to tell you anything, right?"

"I think so. You're not as bad as I imagined, though."

"I suppose you were imagining bloody, black cloaks, giant fangs, and torture devices?" Ichigo nodded hesitantly.

"Um…yes. But you do have fangs."

"Little ones," Kish said, opening his mouth and pricking his finger with one. His finger began to bleed blood that was black as ink. "Ow," he murmured. Ichigo smiled a little.

"And you have big ears."

"True. They are giant," Kish said, reaching up and giving one of his ears a light tug.

"And you have gigantic wings," Ichigo said in awe. Kish smiled proudly and spread his wings father. Ichigo continued with a yawn, lying back down on the pillow, "You know, you're pretty cool for being a kidnapping demon."

"Thank you," Kish whispered softly. His eyes were swept back into that strange trance. "Get some sleep. I don't know how long it will be until I receive a reply to the ransom. Until then, you might as well rest."

"Goodnight, Kish."

"Goodnight, Ichigo."

Ichigo shut her eyes slowly and began to breathe deeply and quietly. Kish hesitated to get up from the bed. He sat still, entranced by the princess lying on his bed. His eyes wandered up and down her sleeping form. He breathed slowly, quietly, listening to the rhythm of their breaths together in the dead quiet of the room. Kish heard a loon coo from outside, snapping him into reality. He rose from the bed and walked to the door. He opened it, stepped out, and closed it behind him with the utmost care not to make any noise.

* * *

_The story is set_

_It's turning the wheels_

_History is changed_

_Her fate has been sealed..._

* * *

{{A.N./ So I actually started this story a long time ago. This is about..oh, a year or so old. You may recognize a lot of my old writing style in here because I was writing this at the same time as my last chapter-fic, TLLS. So, yeah, I already have 90 or so pages of this baby typed up. Meaning that updates should come fairly often. After all, it is summer! And I'm finally back home after my insane boarding school experience...it's crazy stuff, guys. So much drama...

*cough* Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed the story! Drop me a line if you like. Review to let me know if you liked it or not! Just a note: you can be as harsh as you want because I honestly don't care if you do. I have a pretty awesome life beyond this website right now, so if you want to tell me how much this sucks, I'd love to hear you. =) Also, if you have any idea who I am and remember me from back last summer [holy crap I feel _old!]_, than I'd love to hear from you again! Ciao!}}


	3. IMPONO::part 2

Ichigo slept. She slept for what must've been two or three hours before she was awakened by the sound of a door opening, then closing. This time, she heard several pairs of footsteps instead of just Kish's. This caused her to sit up from bed, looking in the dark anxiously. Her eyes adjusted to the light quickly, and she saw Kish leading two giant cats into the room. Kish turned his head, noticing she was awake. Ichigo had to swallow a breath when she saw how bright Kish's golden eyes were in the dark. They were like cat's eyes, especially how his pupils widened and narrowed into round ones and ones that were slits in his eye. His pupils flinched as he focused on her and stated, "You're awake. Did I make too much noise?"

"I just heard you come in," Ichigo said. She rubbed one eye with a hand and yawned loudly. "Who are your friends?" Ichigo asked. She nodded in the direction of two cats. They were both black, and both had eerily human-like eyes; one pair green, the other blue. Other than their eyes, they were almost identical. The cats' eyes made Ichigo a little nervous. They were so unnatural looking on the cats. The cats looked like panthers to Ichigo- judging by their size. Their heads came to Kish's hip.

"This is Castor and Pollux," Kish said.

"Oh! Named after the Gemini twins," Ichigo declared.

"Correct," Kish confirmed. "Castor is the one with green eyes. Pollux has the blue ones."

"Good to meet you," Ichigo said to both of the cats.

_I don't know, Pollux, _Castor growled. _I don't like where this is going. Whatever Kish is doing, it's not good._

_But what would he need a girl in the room for? A human girl, no less? _Pollux replied. _Is she his new _mistress_, his sleeping tool for-_

"Pollux!" Ichigo exclaimed, cutting off Pollux's low growling. "That's not very nice of you to say, considering I just got here! You don't even know me!"

Kish, Castor, and Pollux looked at Ichigo, dumbfounded.

_You understand us? _Castor asked.

"I have cat genes with me. I can understand you perfectly."

"Wow," Kish breathed. "Can you translate them?"

"Sure," Ichigo said, shrugging casually. She was glad she had impressed everyone in the room. Maybe she could gain a little respect from them, she thought. She continued: "Anything you want to tell Kish, Castor? Pollux?"

_Tell him to get you out of the room this instant or he'll suffer severe consequences! _Castor snarled.

"Castor says that you should get me out of the room or you'll suffer severe consequences," Ichigo translated. Kish rolled his eyes.

"Well tell Castor-"

"You tell him," Ichigo interrupted. "He can understand you." Kish nodded, a strange look on his face. He was hesitant to be talking to his cats, only party believing that Ichigo was telling the truth about the cats fully understanding him.

"Castor," he said, one eyebrow raised, "I'm doing this to break up the marriage of the angel prince and human princess. If I've got one end of the deal here, then I can negotiate with them and make them sever the wedding."

_And you're okay with this? _Pollux asked Ichigo. Ichigo nodded.

"I guess it doesn't matter much to me. I don't really like Masaya…though marrying him would be the duty towards my kingdom. Kish isn't hurting me and is being rather kind, so I don't want to escape. I'm just neutral, I suppose."

_I understand, _Castor purred. _And here I thought he was keeping you here as a sex slave…_

"Castor!" Ichigo hissed. Her whole face turned red as she hid her eyes. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say that."

"What?" Kish asked, his eyes darting pointedly from Castor to Ichigo. "What'd he say?"

"Oh…he's just making rude remarks that I'd rather not discuss…" Ichigo moaned, shaking her head and keeping her hands on her heated face.

"Like?"

"Sexual remarks," Ichigo mumbled. Kish tensed up, sending Castor a glare that looked like it was aiming to set him afire.

"What's your problem?" Kish hissed, rumpling Castor's fur. "Quit insulting our guest!"

_Whatever you say, _Castor growled.

"He said 'whatever you say'," Ichigo translated. Kish glared Castor in the eye, who glared back at Kish.

"Quit being such a smart ass you-"

"Kish, do you have any word about the ransom?" Ichigo interrupted deliberately before Kish could continued. Kish's face softened from the glare as he looked back at Ichigo. He shook his head rapidly.

"Not yet. I'm not expecting any word until morning. You might as well get to sleep."

"Alright," Ichigo complied. She lied back down on the bed, burying her face in the softness of the pillow. After a few moments, her head rose again. She said, "I'm taking up your bed, aren't I?"

"Yes, but if you would allow me to share it with you…" Kish murmured smugly, his face curling into a devilish smirk. Out of the corner of her eye, Ichigo caught Castor rolling his eyes in a human-like way that made her smirk. Kish looked confused.

"No way," Ichigo said, trying not to smile. She shut her eyes again. "G'night."

"'Night," Kish replied. He sat down at the edge of the bed and waited. It must've been twenty more minutes before he moved. He slowly, in complete silence, rose from his place on the end of the bed and looked towards Ichigo. Unknowingly to him, Ichigo was still awake as he inspected to make sure she wouldn't be listening. But she was. Once she heard Kish move to look out of his window, Ichigo cracked an eye open.

"Castor, Pollux. Come here for a sec," Kish said in barely a whisper. The two cats obliged, coming over to Kish and sitting on either side of him. Ichigo smirked. He was talking to his cats. Kish continued: "Now that I know you understand me well, I'd like to explain something to you. I sent a ransom note out, saying that I'd return Ichigo if the two kingdoms would call off the marriage. That way, the armies wouldn't be untied against us. Understand?" Both of the cats nodded.

"Good. Now, nobody can know that Ichigo is in my room. That's why I'm concerned if the angels of humans decide to show up in person. I don't want a bunch of unauthorized angels showing up at our doorstep saying that I sent them there. This is a selfish plan I'm executing and it hasn't been accepted by my dad. If he finds out about…_her_, then I'm as good as dead." Both cats nodded in agreement once more. Ichigo was listening closely. She wanted to speak, but couldn't find the words.

"This plan was completely operated by me because I knew that if I got my dad involved, he would make me kill Ichigo instead of going through the trouble of making a ransom." Castor put a paw on Kish's knee and looked up at him with narrowed green eyes that asked a question.

"Are you asking me why she's not dead?" Kish asked. Castor nodded. "I thought so. Ichigo isn't dead because, um, I…made up my mind…well, I thought that…that I don't want to see her die. She's just so…so…I don't know. I can't figure out why it is, but I don't want her to die when she didn't even do anything wrong." Castor growled something low in his throat. Ichigo heard him. She slowly blinked. This was her chance to speak up. Kish deserved to know that she was with him.

"Infatuation," she said. She slowly sat up in bed while Kish watched her. "That was what he said. Infatuation."

"How long have you been listening?" Kish asked quietly.

"This whole time. I can't go to sleep," Ichigo sighed. "Look, I…thank you." Kish didn't reply. He simply looked at Ichigo with eyes that seemed to her forlorn and deep in thought.

_Would it help if Castor or I lied down next to you? _Pollux offered.

"That's very kind of you," Ichigo said with a smile towards Pollux. "Thank you. I would appreciate if you could come and rest with me. The smell of a cat will help me fall asleep faster, I'm sure." Pollux got up and jumped on the bed. He lied down next to Ichigo, where she put a hand over him, gripping his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered in Pollux's ear.

_It's no trouble, _Pollux replied. _I'm sorry for the bad behavior my brother and I have been exhibiting._

"It's alright," Ichigo murmured, resting her head on the pillow. "Goodnight." Ichigo didn't say another word to Kish before she shut her eyes. She didn't need to.

_Goodnight, _Pollux growled lowly. Kish watched them from the foot of the bed. He looked at Pollux in envy with the same sad eyes. He wished so badly to be in Pollux's place. At least he had Ichigo's trust. For now, that was all he needed. Kish tore his eyes away from the sight and glowered at the floor, then out the window at the star-blazed night.

"_Infatuation," _he mouthed to himself. His glance fell from the night sky to the tips of his shoes. He hugged his knees towards himself and let his head droop into them. Understanding his tired motion like a mother understands her child, Castor curled around behind Kish, acting as a cushion for his tired back. Not long after, Kish fell asleep.

Ichigo awoke suddenly in the very early morning. Moonlight streamed through the window at the end of the bed. The stars twinkled outside and shined bright in the clear, black sky. Ichigo rubbed her eyes, blinked a few times, and let her eyes roam around the room. There, she saw that Kish was lying on the floor, curled up like a child. His wings splayed out all over the floor at odd angles. His mouth was slightly open, and he was breathing slowly. Castor was lying by his head, also sleeping. Ichigo had to admit, Kish looked more like a child when he slept. It was cute…in its own little quirky way. Ichigo smiled and sighed quietly.

Letting her eyes roam around the room lazily, she propped her head up in her elbows and looked out the window to the bits of constellations she could spot through it. She saw the sword of the Swordsman…and the Pegasus. Her absent mind wandered to the distant places it often went, where princesses were locked in towers and guarded by fearsome dragons. She saw a valiant knight riding on a steed and slaying the dragon. The valiant knight rescued the princess, and they lived happily ever after. Ichigo, stepping out of her fantasy vision, hung her head.

Who was the knight and who was the dragon? Even more so, who would be "slain"? Ichigo concluded that it wouldn't matter anyway if everything went as planned. The ransom would go through. She would return to her palace wedding-less, and life would continue on as normal. It was a shame. If Kish wasn't a demon, Ichigo thought that she would like to get to know him better. But wishful thinking wasn't going to get anyone anywhere. No matter how much she wished something would be different, that wouldn't make it so. Ichigo sighed woefully. Her sigh didn't go unheard.

Kish sat up from where he was lying with a moan. Ichigo flinched when she heard him, her eyes snapping from the haze they were in. Her thoughts suddenly focused to her captor. He rolled his neck around full circle, producing loud cracking noises that made Ichigo cringe. He spread his wings, also cracking the bones inside them.

"Good morrr-" Kish cut himself off by yawning a loud, bellowing yawn. Ichigo giggled. Kish smacked his lips and tried again. "Good morning, Kitten."

"Kitten?" Ichigo asked curiously. Kish shrugged.

"Just a nickname. How long have you been awake?"

"Two minutes, maybe. I'm not sure what woke me up."

"It must be three in the morning or something. Go back to bed. You need your sleep," Kish said with a yawn and a wave of his hand.

"What about you?" Ichigo asked. "Sleeping on the floor is no fun."

"Well I asked to share a bed…" Kish mumbled, glaring at the wall to the side. "It's my bed anyway. My neck is starting to feel sore. You know, I should just kick you out and make you sleep on the floor."

"Wh-what?" Ichigo spluttered doubtfully. "Don't do that! Please let me stay! You can sleep here too if you want!" Ichigo gasped and closed a hand over her mouth when she heard the last sentence slip out of her mouth. Kish knew he had her. A little glint flashed in his eye.

"If you insist," he said, rising from the floor. He walked over to the other side of the bed and got in slowly, making a great show of it. Pollux, who had been sitting next to Ichigo's head at this time, growled in protest. Ichigo immediately moved over to the very end of her side, keeping the farthest away from Kish as possible. Pollux eyed Kish with an annoyed stare before he moved between he and Ichigo. Kish eyed Pollux, then glanced towards Ichigo.

"What? Do I smell bad or something?"

"Don't you think it's weird to share a bed with someone else?" Ichigo asked with distaste.

"Depends on who it is."

"I'll say this: don't touch me. At all," Ichigo hissed.

"You know, I could stop this 'nice kidnapper' stuff," Kish said casually, shrugging. Ichigo gave a grunt of disapproval.

"You're so…disagreeable," she huffed. "I can't believe you're royalty. You act like a stupid teenager."

"I am a stupid teenager. I'm a stupid teenager who's royalty. You're one, too."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"…no. I'm just saying that your title of 'Princess' doesn't make you any less or more of who you already are. You should try living like a normal person for once. It's actually fun."

"It's not like I have a choice," Ichigo grunted. "I'm more like a tool than a person."

"That's too bad," Kish mused sadly. "You'd make a good normal girl. Anyway, you really need to get to sleep." Ichigo's face fell into a calmer one. She turned around in the bed to face Kish and closed her eyes. Kish propped his head up on his elbow and looked past Pollux to watch Ichigo's tranquil face, unable to tear his eyes away. He finally closed his eyes, sighed, and got up from bed.

He stopped, hesitating to make any further motion. He narrowed his eyes and let out a little growl deep in his throat. Pollux heard him and snarled a warning to Ichigo: "Don't move. Don't make a sound." In the tense, dead silence, Ichigo was already scared stiff. She knew something was extremely wrong. She could feel it in her gut.

Kish extended his hands to either side of him. In his palms appeared two long, sharp sais that gleamed in the moonlight. He held to these tight while he walked coolly towards the window. Kish glanced back at Castor and Pollux. He jerked his head in the direction of the door. They understood. Both cats went to the door, pulled it open like only very intelligent cats would be able to do, and shut it behind them with the utmost care.

"Come out, come out…" Kish whispered, turning back towards the window. "Show yourself." A few seconds of silence. Then, the sound of the slipping of feathers against each other. In a flash of illuminating white, something came through the window, clashing its sword against Kish's two sais. Ichigo, eyes wide, saw the new appearance and immediately sat up in bed, gasping.

"Masaya!" she cried in distress. It was Masaya, the angel prince, that had come through the window and was pushing a sword to Kish.

"Ichigo! It's alright, I'm here!" Masaya yelled with force. He was still trying to push Kish backwards. Kish was prevailing in the sword lock, though, and soon gathered up the strength to thrust Masaya backwards against the opposite wall with a roar. Masaya recovered in a heartbeat and was soon back to swinging his sword at Kish with powerful, swooping movements. Kish was dodging him with fast, short dodging and quickness of feet. Ichigo watched in horrifying amazement at the beautifully coordinated battle.

"Release the princess immediately!" Masaya demanded. He took another swing at Kish, who ducked to dodge it and, in turn, pulled his sword across Masaya's side. Masaya barely dodged the slash, but it took its toll and left a thin slice across his side. He cringed in pain, jumping back a few feet. Ichigo gasped at this and swung her legs over the bed.

"Stop it! Stop fighting!" she yelled. "Kish, just let me go peacefully!" Kish's bright, golden eyes flickered from Masaya, to Ichigo, and back to Masaya. Masaya took this slight hesitation as an opportunity and dove towards Kish with his sword poised for attack. Kish didn't move out of the way in time, and took a heavy blow to his forehead. He let out a yelp and stumbled backwards, grasping at his face with one hand. Ichigo inhaled sharply, looking at Masaya with a look of shock. She had never seen Masaya fight before.

"Masaya! Stop!" she screamed. "Don't hurt him!"

Masaya lowered his sword, keeping one eye on the disabled Kish as he spoke.

"Ichigo, I have to kill him. If I don't, he'll seek revenge. Not only that, but he is my sworn enemy. Killing him now would be best. I'll make sure that it is quick and painless as long as he doesn't resist." Ichigo narrowed her eyes.

"That's so cruel!" she exclaimed. "He's a person just like you!"

"But he's hurting so many people, including you," Masaya pointed out. Ichigo's face fell as he continued, "It's better for one man to die than a whole people be killed."

"But he doesn't even run the nation!" Ichigo argued. She rose out of bed, stepping on the floor and slowly backing away from Masaya. "If you kill him, what good does it do to anyone else? All you'll be doing is killing the heir. They'd just find another person to take the throne." Masaya first took a look to Kish to make sure he was still weak before he walked over to Ichigo and, putting a hand on her shoulder, gave her a reassuring smile.

"You don't understand, Ichigo. His unrivaled strength is a threat. No other heir poses such a threat as he. Once that threat is removed, we will be in peace again." Ichigo shook her head,

"No…this doesn't seem right…something's seriously wrong…"

Ichigo continued backwards when suddenly she felt something behind her. Kish had appeared behind her, capturing her in his grip, gently holding her to him. He spoke smugly over Ichigo's head towards a horrified Masaya.

"Interesting, politics are. It's funny how the most unlikely of people have such evil intentions. Are you aware of what's going on behind the scenes of the human government? It's actually a disgusting topic, if you're sensitive to twisted morals and messy cover-ups." Kish rested his chin on the top of Ichigo's head. The side of his face was still dripping with inky, black blood. Ichigo, eyes wide, was breathing hard and fast in fear. Kish's voice had changed. _He_ had changed. He had his battle mask on now. "I just had a bit of a history lesson with dear Ichigo here. It seems that there is more behind her than meets the eye. It makes me rather disappointed to know that you'll never really know her as a lover."

Kish paused for a dramatic effect. Masaya was stunned to silence, tense hands gripping his sword. He sneered at Kish angrily. Kish sighed deeply and curled both arms around Ichigo, pulling her closer to him.

"Ichigo will never love you," Kish hissed, glaring up at Masaya with a fiery glare. Masaya met his glare with an equally vicious one. But that wasn't the end of the malice. Masaya was nearly thrown into hysterics when he watched Kish take hold of Ichigo, spin her around, and kiss her. Ichigo was shocked, eyes huge and hands clenched. That was too much for Masaya. Masaya rushed forward, brandishing his sword and yelling. Ichigo barely had time to push Kish off of her and away from Masaya's aim. Kish, stumbling back and falling to the ground, was frozen in shock when, before Masaya could retaliate, Ichigo stood in front of Kish in defense with arms outstretched. She was defending him with an angry scowl on her face. Masaya, sword pointed to her, looked ready to strike at her out of anger.

"Ichigo, are you really defending him? After what he just did to you?"

"I don't care! He doesn't deserve to die!" Ichigo yelled. "Just take me and we'll leave! That was the deal, wasn't it?" Kish, still in a shocked silence, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He couldn't find the words. Masaya lowered his sword. All eyes were on Ichigo. She looked like she was torn between crying and screaming, ready to burst at any second.

"Alright. Let's go," Masaya finally complied. He extended a hand to Ichigo. She reached towards it, then stopped. A slight hesitation. Then she took it with a firm grip. She teleported without another glance back.

* * *

{A.N./ ...aaand that's the end of part two. For those of you who are wondering, **Impono** means **"mercy"** in Latin. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry I haven't had time to reply to you all...I've been really, really busy as of late. Once I'm done with this crazy filming/editing project for my old grade school, I'll be able to read and review other stories more too. For now, have a great weekend, guys! Love you all! =) }


	4. IMPONO::part 3

"Do you comprehend the meaning of 'concentrate'?"

Kish cracked his knuckles on both hands, knocking his jaw back and forth in frustration. He stared with narrowed eyes towards his friend and temporary sorcery instructor, Pie. Pie stared back at him with equally narrowed and frustrated eyes. Their stone-cold depth made Kish wonder sometimes if Pie even possessed a soul, or if his eyes just reflected the pit that the soul belonged in. For this reason, it was almost impossible to win a stare-off with Pie. Kish soon stopped glaring in Pie's chasm of a stare and chose to look at the floor in front of him. Pie, sensing triumph, proceeded to nag Kish some more.

"I understand that this may be my fault as well. I may have been slacking off in my studies with you. I implore you to listen while I say this- I can't advance any further without you assisting me. This is your power we are exploring, not mine nor anyone else's. We are writing a textbook, not learning from one." Kish let out a heavy groan.

"Fine. Let's try and get this over with," he mumbled in discouragement.

"That is the attitude I have been looking for," Pie said. This was Pie's way of praising Kish. Unfortunately, Kish didn't appreciate it very much. He closed his eyes and rolled his head, cracking his neck. He stretched his fingers out in front of him, then clapped them to each other and folded them in front of him as if in prayer.

"Begin with simple blue fire." Pie said. Kish opened his eyes and pulled his hands apart, revealing a convulsing strand of blue flames.

"Slow down," Pie instructed. "You are rushing this. Advance slowly." Kish rolled his eyes. The strand of blue flame changed to glowing, blue sparks of lightning.

"I said slow down!" Pie barked. "You're not going to get anywhere if you keep moving so quickly through the different heat stages!"

"Fine," Kish complied stoically. "What now?"

"Try feeding into yourself…like we practiced earlier," Pie said. Kish hesitated a moment. Now he was seriously wondering if Pie was really trying to kill him. He was slower and more deliberate with his movement this time as he juggled the electric charge from one hand to the other. After playing with it in his hands for a little, he took the charge into one hand and quickly threw it to his forehead. He tipped his head back, keeping the bolt flowing through his hand to his head. Pie's eyes grew brighter as he watched closely.

After a few moments of keeping the charge on his forehead, Kish took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and concentrated hard. He felt the shock pulsing through his veins and coming out through the palm of his hand. He felt it collecting on his forehead and feeding into his mind through his skull. Slowly, ever so slowly, Kish began to push the charge farther and farther into his head. It sank in slowly. Kish felt it going in, felt it drilling into his brain. It spread across his nerves, sending a chilling, exciting feeling all across his body. When the last spark had been delivered, Kish whispered words of prayer he was taught in an ancient tongue. Finally, his finger traced over his forehead in a swipe. The energy flowing through his body welled up and seemed to take over his body. It pulsed through his veins, invading his nerves and clouding his brain like a drug. Kish saw through eyes that seemed blurred to him. They hurt.

Pie looked on in amazement. He watched as Kish reached up at his eyes and saw him grope at them, then stop. Kish pulled his fingers away, and there attached to them were two ropes of gold lightning, the color of his eyes. He pulled his hands away as far as they would stretch, and the ropes fell from his eyes and tightened at the ends, forming two long whips. The only difficulty…his eyes were gone. Left were two gaps filled with the blue electricity that Kish had fed into his body earlier.

"Pie…" Kish murmured hesitantly. "…I can't see…Pie, what's going on? I'm kind of freaked out now…"

"You just…well, the whips you're holding are your eyes. You're holding your eyes, but they're materialized into two weapons. This is fantastic, phenomenal…I've never seen anything like it…"

"You know, Pie, I'm really glad you're happy and all because you're almost never happy…but, um…this is scaring the living hell out of me. How do I put my eyes back?"

"I don't know…" Pie said, still slightly mystified. Kish tensed up.

"Pie, that's the first time I've ever heard you tell me you didn't know how to do something. Please tell me I'm not going to be blind for the rest of my life. That would kind of suck."

"Just try feeding the whips back into your eye sockets," Pie suggested. "I'm not touching those…you look like you're charged enough to kill me without meaning to."

Kish flipped the whips around in his hands so that the solid ends faced him. He slowly lifted these ends to where he figured his eye socket was.

"Lower," Pie said. Kish lowered his hand.

"There?"

"Perfect." Kish carefully pushed the hard end of the whip into his eye socket. It fed in easily, and Kish was able to let go of the whip as it went in the rest of the way by itself.

"It feels like something's slithering into my eye," Kish said in disgust. To his surprise, the second whip flew up from his hand and went in itself. Kish let out a yell when he felt it slide into his eye socket so suddenly. Then, he was given his eyesight. All energy faded from in him, and he was back to normal status.

Pie, a rare dumbfounded look on his face, said, "Kish, I am almost certain that, in order to perform a stunt such as that, it is required that you tap into a fresh part of your brainpower. Most of the skills you have learned so far concerning your electric energy have been triggered by large events in your life that emotionally caused your brain to overload. Tell me, what happened lately that has made your brain active as such?"

Kish tensed up. What now? Pie was impossible to lie to. He could read anyone's emotions like an open book. Well, there was only one thing Kish could do: tell the truth.

"I met a girl."

Silence.

"Dear god Kish…" Pai said dryly. "I should have seen that one coming."

"So? You want to hear about it?" Kish continued, a huge grin on his face. Pie scowled even deeper.

"No. Don't push your triumphs, Kish. You are dismissed." Kish stood up from his seat and quickly swept out the door. Pie watched him go, a curious look on his face. He knew something was up. Kish couldn't hide forever.

As Kish traveled down the marble halls of the castle, his shoulders relaxed and his face loosened. His pace slowed down to a slow, deliberate one where Kish listened to each one of his steps as his feet hit the floor. His mind was indeed pounded with an extra load. It _was_ more active than usual. And that was just too close. Pie almost found out, and Kish couldn't take the tension building up in himself. He had to see her again. He just had to.

::-::

Ichigo sat in her summer nightgown, combing through her hair in front of her vanity. She ran the brush through her thick, red hair slowly, drawing out each stroke. It wasn't that her hair was messy. She just needed something to occupy her hands with. Her eyes stared blankly into the mirror, looking at nothing in particular. She stopped combing, slowly setting the brush down on the vanity. She took one more look at herself before groaning and resting her head on the surface of the vanity with a thump.

"Erg…"

No matter how hard she tried, how hard she tried to distract herself, she couldn't bring herself to forget it. Forget him. It had already been a week or so since the day she was kidnapped, but Ichigo remembered it all in perfect detail. Everything. This annoyed her to no extent because she couldn't get him out of her mind. It wasn't like she wanted to remember how it felt to have him close. How charming his smile was. How accepting he was of her…unlike any other boy she knew. She had tried to do all kinds of things to distract herself, like try on every dress in her wardrobe, prolong her meals, and play long games of hide and seek with her hyperactive, child attendee- Pudding Fong. Yet nothing she did to distract herself ever worked.

Sometimes Ichigo would try to make him out to be the bad guy. She'd try playing tricks on her mind. He did hurt her, after all. Emotionally, that is. He certainly had blown her mind to pieces. But even though he had been nothing short of a jerk after his battle with Masaya, Ichigo still couldn't get his face out of her mind. It was driving her insane.

Now, sitting alone in her quiet little room, Ichigo looked up at herself in the mirror. She was tired. Yet she couldn't sleep. Her cozy blue robe was comfortable, but it didn't help her relax more than a little. She was still wide awake. Lying her head back down on the vanity, she let out a long sigh.

"Ichigo?"

She partly ignored the quiet voice behind her, thinking that she was imagining it. After all, she was already half-crazy and sleep deprived. Then it came again, louder this time.

"Hey, Ichigo? You awake?" Ichigo's eyes opened slightly. She lifted her head a little to look in the mirror. She didn't see anything behind her.

_Must've imagined it, _she thought. She put her head back down. Then, she felt hands on her shoulders.

"Kitten?"

Ichigo raised her head, rubbing one eye lazily.

"Kish?" she murmured. She paused. It took a moment to register in her mind. Wait…Kish was in her room? "Kish!" Ichigo whispered hoarsely, doing a double take. "Get out!"

"I'm not leaving until I say something," Kish said boldly. Ichigo watched his and her reflection in the mirror as Kish leaned down where she could see his face in it. He made eye contact through the mirror. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened. I was only trying to make Masaya angry and weak, but I hurt you in the process. I hope you can forgive me." Ichigo scowled.

"No! I won't forgive you! I trusted you, and you betrayed me! You acted like a possessive jerk, and there's no way you're going to change!" Ichigo hissed, whirling around and looking Kish in the eye. "If there's one thing I've learned about boys, it's that they never…change…" Ichigo's voice faded out as Kish gave her a solemn look, a pleading look.

"If boys never change," Kish murmured, "then think of it like I didn't change on the battlefield. Think of it like I'll never change from being the me you saw before that. What I'm trying to say is that we got off to a bad start. Please, give me your forgiveness."

Ichigo cast her eyes to the floor before looking back up at Kish. He was so close, close enough to feel his breath, smell his scent, reach out and touch him. But she didn't. She stood her ground.

Sighing, Ichigo turned around to face the mirror again.

"Maybe I'll forgive you. It depends." Kish's face lit up.

"Thank you, Kitten," he said. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the head.

"If you're going to be forgiven, you'd better stop doing that!" Ichigo growled. "And don't call me Kitten!"

Kish let out a snicker.

"So will I ever see you again?" he asked. He took up Ichigo's brush and began to brush her hair.

"It seems so," Ichigo said vaguely.

"Good," Kish purred. "I'd like to get to know you better."

"Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd get in if anyone found out about this? A demon in my room?" Ichigo sighed.

"Try the _prince _of demons," Kish corrected smugly. "I'm proud of my title Ki- Sweetheart."

"Don't call me that either," Ichigo spat.

"But what's the fun in that?" Kish said. "You can call _me _Sweetheart if you want."

"Look, we're not an actual couple or anything, okay?" Ichigo groaned. "Just because I said you can come back again doesn't mean that I'm going to let you come any more after that!" Kish put on a weary sort of smile.

"Playing hard-to-get, huh? Alright, I got it. No more fun stuff. It's time to play it Ichigo's boring way…" Ichigo rolled her eyes.

"Kish, you're obnoxious. I don't know why I'm putting up with you."

"I know what I am. Ichigo, you're short-tempered."

"You just have loose standards."

"You just haven't learned how to have fun."

"Touché," Ichigo muttered. Kish laughed to himself.

"I win."

"Quit pulling on my hair so hard," Ichigo moaned. "You're tearing out my scalp."

"Sorry," Kish muttered. He set the brush down on the vanity. Looking down at Ichigo's hair, he ran his hands through her locks. He felt through the cherry-red hair. It felt like silk to his fingers. He soon felt Ichigo clench his hands in hers. Her soft fingers held tight to his hand, which Kish stared at with a vacant expression.

"Don't touch, please," she commanded softly.

"Fine," Kish murmured. He sounded dejected, and Ichigo noticed. Ichigo released his hands slowly and stood up from her vanity. Glancing at Kish for a split second, she walked over to her bed and pulled back her covers, beginning to climb in. She turned her head to Kish.

"I'm going to bed now. Goodnight," she said, smiling a little. Kish gave her a big toothy grin. He was happy that she had even smiled at him. It counted as a big win in his books.

"'Night, Ichigo," he whispered. He turned around and walked straight into a wall, disappearing slowly in a whirl of black smoke. Ichigo's face fell a little and she crawled into her puffy, warm bed. She lied down and shut her eyes.

Her thoughts of Kish were still not at peace. Now that she had established some kind of friendship with him, she was beginning to consider the consequences. What if someone found out? She was already taking a huge step out of line. Just as long as she could step back, she would be okay- as long as she could cut off her ties with Kish. But what if she got herself in too deep? She couldn't fall in love with Kish, could she?

Frowning, she thought to herself, _This may have been a huge, huge mistake._

{{A.N./ You may have noticed that I've been updating really frequently. The reason why is that this story is really long and I've gotta get it all out before the end of summer. The next chapter I have to write from scratch, so it might be a bit before the next chapter is released. Until then- Love ya! =) See you next chapter! }}


	5. AVERSUS::part 1

"AAAAAHH!"

Ichigo's shriek carried all down the halls of the palace, summoning an onslaught of servants towards her room one Thursday morning.

"Princess!"

"Princess Ichigo, Your Highness!"

"What's wrong?"

Ichigo looked shocked as she felt the top of her head delicately.

"Th-th-there's…my ears…"

"E-Excuse me!" Ichigo's best friend and closest maid, Lettuce, gently weaved her way through the crowd of maids, where she calmly put her hands on Ichigo's shoulders and asked her what was the matter.

"Lettuce…what are…"

"Please take your hands off, Ichigo, so I can see." Ichigo took her hands off of her head. Lettuce gasped.

"Oh my goodness, Ichigo!"

"Wh-what?" Ichigo sounded even more panicked now that Lettuce was just as surprised as she was.

"Ichigo, I do believe you're beginning to grow your ears!"

"I…what? My ears?"

On the tips of Ichigo's normal ears were two fuzzy little black tufts that poked out. They were barely the size of a thimble, but they were there.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Ichigo," Lettuce reassured her. "It's a normal part of becoming an adult."

"Do you have weird ears too?" Ichigo asked curiously. Lettuce smiled.

"Well, not exactly." She tipped her head down to reveal two ribbons growing from her head. Ichigo stared with wide eyes.

"I've never noticed…"

"See, Ichigo? It's a natural thing. I mean, every human has animal features. Didn't you ever wonder where they came from?"

"I…I suppose you're right," Ichigo mused. "I just didn't think it would come so soon. It looks like my ears are growing hair of their own. It's kinda gross…" Ichigo stuck out her tongue.

"Well when they're done growing, you're going to look even more beautiful, aren't you Miss Ichigo?" Lettuce said with a smile. Ichigo smiled back. She couldn't stop feeling her ears, which looked not unlike monkey ears. The rest of the maids began to disperse, while Lettuce stayed with Ichigo. Lettuce looked thoughtful. "Miss Ichigo?"

"Yes, Lettuce?"

"I do believe you have your first instruction in half an hour…"

"OH MY GOD!" Ichigo screeched, leaping out of her seat. "I haven't even showered! I'm going to be late, late, late!" Lettuce smiled weakly and shook her head.

"Would you care for some help, Ichigo?" she asked calmly as Ichigo dashed into the restroom to shower.

"Yes! If you can find me something to wear that would be…" A pause. Ichigo heaved a huge sigh, "Faaan-tastic!" Lettuce's smile grew bigger.

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

"64...65...66...67...68...6...wait, was it 68 or 58?" thought Kish.

He was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, counting the ceiling tiles. Kish wasn't bored. He was simply sitting on his bed, cooling down after some of his training. Pie's training had gotten increasingly tougher since Kish had turned up with that new skill. It was like Pie had said- they weren't learning from a book, they were writing one. The development stage Kish was at was considered the prime. The farther he could stretch his abilities, the farther he would set the bar for future kings and other demons of power. Right now, Kish was at the top. He was the best. Kish loved being the best. It was what he was born for- being the best. But, after his training as a child, he had achieved it partly by himself after his father stopped training him. He carried on his training because it was a concept that had been taught to him for years: if you're not going to be the best, then don't work for nothing.

Kish was used to being the best of all. He was the richest and the strongest. He seemed almost flawless to anyone in the kingdom. This was what royalty tried to achieve among their subjects- respect in knowing their king was the best. But Kish knew his flaws. Anyone that knew Kish personally knew his flaws. Kish was lazy, and he knew it. He hated doing anything by himself. Kish also had a short attention span. Kish sometimes forgot about his political image, and often jeopardized it by flaunting his smooth womanizing skills. In reality, Kish was very, very flawed, and one day he knew that it would come back to hurt him. At the moment he was on his pedestal high up in the sky, but he was balanced so carefully. He could only be the best for a while. Eventually, something would have to force him down.

That was why, lately, Kish had been beginning to worry more about his situation with Ichigo. Most would call her "Princess Ichigo", but to him the title seemed out of place. He knew her as just plain "Ichigo". He barely even knew her as a princess. But that didn't change the fact that Ichigo was indeed a princess, royalty from the Human Kingdom. Kish couldn't have her forever, and he knew it. How could he take her away from what she had? But, at the same time, she didn't have much. Under the regal title of "Princess", the life she described didn't sound like one Kish would enjoy much himself. She was so sheltered, so shut out from the rest of the world outside her own palace. She saw people, but not many. She went to balls and parties, but she had to put on her princess face and act regal. Kish could relate to her, but to a point. Kish had to attend his share of balls, but at least Kish got to go out into the city in disguise and party with his friends as well. Just as long as his disguise didn't slip, Kish could go freely through the streets. Ichigo couldn't.

Kish began to think of places Ichigo hadn't been to. He could take her to the Forest, the downtown villages, or the parties he went to sometimes. Kish wondered briefly if Ichigo had ever had a taste of alcohol. He smirked. Probably not.

In fact, Ichigo would probably enjoy herself much more if she lived in Kish's world. Her life would be so much more happier if she had been born into the Demon Kingdom instead. Or even if she had never been taken away from her family as a child. Then maybe Ichigo could've been raised in the arms of loving parents. She wouldn't be subject to so much rules.

Kish could dream. Or Kish could do something about Ichigo's overprotected situation. Kish, being Kish, felt the need to fix any problem he encountered, his way. So he would try to fix Ichigo in his own way, whether she wanted him to or not. After all, Ichigo was his new object of interest, and he loved being around her. He hadn't known her for very long, but she had already made an impression. So now Kish had his mind made. Ichigo was going to have fun, and she was going to like it.

* * *

Ichigo walked through the courts of the palace on her way to her lessons. She passed by the pond where the maids and servants were washing laundry. The air smelt of soap mingled with dirt. Frequently, servants passing by would stop to murmur a, "Your Highess," or "You look lovely, Princess." Letting her eyes roam as she walked, Ichigo saw on a group of high-class maids chattering and giggling off to one side. What really surprised her was the subject of the conversation.

"Have you seen those portraits of the prince lately?"

"The ones from the black market? Oh, yes! He looks gorgeous!"

"Dream on!"

All the maids giggled to themselves. Ichigo paused to listen to the gossip concerning her fiancé. One of the maids with a blushing face and long, blue hair laughed, "Who smuggled those portraits in anyway? The ones in the supply cellar? Whoever it was must be really rich! Those portraits must cost a fortune!"

"Oh, it was probably Kazuko or Maria," another said with a wave of her hand. "They both have money…and a craving for 'forbidden love'!" The maids all giggled again. Ichigo cracked a smile. So that was what everyone thought of Masaya. She considered for a moment how lucky she was. Her face fell again when she heard another maid speak.

"Forbidden love? Oh, that's dangerous," she said with a giggle. "It's classic, you know. The ordinary peasant falls for the majestic prince. 'Course, it would be better for you to be swept off your feet by the good guy…"

"Prince Masaya? Pht. He's already getting married." The maid with long hair lowered her voice as she said, "Don't tell anyone, but I hear Prince Kish is single!" All the maids giggled in glee. Ichigo stood frozen. So they were talking about Kish the whole time? That explained all the buzz about the black market and smuggling portraits. This wasn't the first time Ichigo had heard gossip about Kish. He was one of the big topics among the maids those days.

Ichigo gathered up the courage and walked over to the maids, smiling.

"Sorry to intrude, but were you just talking about Prince Kish?" The maids' faces all fell as they bowed in respect.

"Your Highness! My sincerest apologies!" one of them said. Ichigo shook her head, giggling.

"Oh, stop that," she said with a wave of her hand. "You don't have to apologize. I was just curious. I'd like to hear more about him myself." The maids' faces grew bright again.

"Oh, m'lady, that's dangerous, you know!" one of them scolded with a smile. "You're about to be wed!"

Ichigo smirked as she replied, "What was that about forbidden love, again?" The maids looked at each other, wide-eyed. They turned back to Ichigo with excited faces.

"M'lady, you simply _must _hear everything we have to tell you!" Ichigo imitated their excited smiles and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Thank you very much!" Ichigo chirped, eager to hear the latest gossip.

"There's been a lot of rumors about Kish lately," one of the maids informed her. "A lot of them come from the palace servants that associate with the black market. They get to talk to some of the servants of Kish that know him personally. So when our servants are talking with his, they always have good stories to share. And when they report back to us, they're always talking about Kish as being a "heart-breaker", and that he's had about a gazillion girlfriends!"

"No wonder, either!" another maid said. "I'd date him if he asked ME!" The maids giggled along with Ichigo.

"Excuse my asking, but what do you think about him, Princess?" one of the maids asked curiously. All the maids looked to Ichigo with curious faces. Ichigo kept her act on.

"Hm…" Ichigo mused, a playful smile on her face. "I'd say that he's cute, but dangerous too!" The maids broke into giggles once more.

"You're exactly right, m'lady!" the first maid gushed.

"Pardon my asking, m'lady, but when did you first see the prince?"

"Actually, it was the day I was held in the palace of the Demon Kingdom," Ichigo said, telling the truth. The maids gasped.

"Really? You saw him in person?" Ichigo blushed. Now she would have to lie a bit. No way in hell could these maids know what really happened to her while she was in Kish's room. She couldn't even say that she was in his room.

"Well I saw him, but only for a few moments. He came in and was talking to one of the guards, but he didn't say anything to me." Immediately, Ichigo was flooded with questions.

"Did he see you?"

"What did his voice sound like?"

"How big are his wings nowadays?

"What'd he say?"

"One at a time!" Ichigo laughed. "Okay, first of all, he did see me. We did have eye contact, but only for a split second. Second…do you know the baker's son, Kazoku?"

"Yup!"

"Yes!"

"Of course!"

"I know him!"

"He sounds kind of like him except a little higher-pitched and sexier," Ichigo stated. The maids ooo'ed and ahh'ed among each other. Ichigo seemed to be enjoying a bit of healthy gossip.

"Third: his wings are GIGANTIC. They must be at least fifteen feet long. Like, from one end of my bedroom to the other. Fourth: I didn't catch a lot of his conversation, but I think he was saying something about some troubles with spies in the castle."

"That's fascinating, Princess!" Charlotte said in awe. "You are SO lucky!"

"Well, it wasn't a very pleasant experience to be held at the castle," Ichigo said with a roll of her eyes, "but at least seeing a really cute guy there helped a little."

"Does Prince Masaya know?"

"About what?" Ichigo asked.

"That you think Kish is cute?" one of the maids asked. Ichigo shrugged.

"I don't think so. It doesn't really matter anyway. I still love Masaya anyway. I mean, there's nothing wrong with thinking that one guy is cute and loving another one, right?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Not at all!"

The maids automatically agreed with Ichigo. Ichigo smiled thinly. She was getting rather sick of lying. It tired her out. Then, she remembered what she was there for in the first place.

"Oh no!" Ichigo cried. "I'm going to be late for my lesson! …it was a pleasure talking to you, ladies!" Ichigo began to dash off in the direction of the west wing.

"Pleasure, Your Highness!"

"Good luck!"

"Goodbye, Miss!"

Ichigo reached the west wing of the palace within another minute. She yanked open the door and slammed it shut behind her. Down the hall one, two, three doors. She stood in front of the third door, took a huge breath, and opened it. She stepped inside as elegantly as possible and closed it behind her with great delicacy. Her instructor, a smartly-dressed man in his mid-40's, sat at a large desk at one end of the room. He stared at Ichigo with a curious look.

"I heard a door slam," he remarked.

"My apologies, sir."

"Have a seat. You're early by 30 seconds." Ichigo, a triumphant smile tugging at the edges of her lips, gracefully sat in a cushy seat at the other end of the desk.

"Now where we left off…"

"Vincent the Courageous, Sir," Ichigo reminded him.

"Please don't be so smug with me, _Your Highness_," her instructor said. Ichigo shut her mouth, her smile fading. Her temporary moment of glory was gone.

"Now, if you please- Recite the first generation of Angelic kings in order." Ichigo swallowed, fidgeting with her fingers. Her mind strained to remember the first Angel king.

"It started with an M…Ma…Min…Mis…" she thought to herself. Her instructor looked miffed as Ichigo's eyes darted around the room for some kind of clue to remembering the first same.

"The first is Neurgeno," the instructor prompted. Ichigo's eyes lit up.

"Oh! Then it's Felix, then Jonathan, then…uh…"

"Princess Ichigo…have you studied this at all since out last session?"

"Um…"

"I'll take that as a 'no'. You're going to make this a very long day, aren't you, Your Highness?"

* * *

Ichigo's head felt full. Her brain felt strained from trying to retrain to much information from her history instruction. It had taken three hours. Way too long for Ichigo, who felt like she was going to explode from having so much information stuffed into her head. She could understand why her adoptive father, the King, would want her to learn the history of the angels. She was marrying their prince. It would be impressive if she already knew all about their history. Another quality of her that made her more princess-like.

Sometimes, Ichigo would lie awake and wonder what would happen if she were to die. How would people react? Who would miss her? Well, everyone would. She was the princess. The whole kingdom would mourn for her. But would they really know her? Their cries wouldn't even mean much to her. The only people Ichigo could truly trust, truly open up to, were Lettuce and Pudding, her two closest maids and her best friends. If Ichigo were to die, they would be sad for real. But they would be the only ones in the whole kingdom.

Ichigo almost forgot about Kish. Almost. Until he stuck his head into her window.

Kish stuck his head completely through Ichigo's window and silently checked to make sure there was no one in her room other than Ichigo. Ichigo reeled back in surprise, a panicked look on her face. How was he getting through her window? It was locked. But then she remembered teleportation. She saw the smoke around the window and put two and two together. Kish found Ichigo's eyes and grinned.

"Good evening, Kitten," he greeted. "Would you care to go on a little nighttime stroll with me?"

"I-what…I…what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Kish replied. "You wanna come?"

"Well I'm hardly dressed for it!" Ichigo said. "I don't even think I have walking shoes with me in this room…"

"You don't need them," Kish stated matter-of-factly. "We're not exactly 'strolling', per say. We're teleporting most of the way, flying a bit. Then we're just taking a short little walk. Nothing big."

He paused. Ichigo looked confused. She looked around her room, as if to find some kind of excuse not to go. But there was none, other than her conscience that screamed to her that this was a bad idea. On the other hand, she thought, she really needed to clear her head. This was just the thing to help her. And, who knows, she could strengthen the friendship with another one of her friends. It sounded innocent when she thought of it like that, but deep down she knew that her relationship with Kish was much more complex than her innocent mind made it out to be.

"Alright…I'll go," Ichigo complied with a sigh. Kish's eyes lit up with blatant triumph and he smiled broadly.

"Fantastic!" He pulled himself through the window completely, his feet making impact on the floor with a "THUD" that made Ichigo wince.

"Shh!" she hushed, putting a finger to her lips. Kish frowned.

"Sorry." He walked to Ichigo and put out a hand. "Take my hand. And hold your breath this time. I don't want you passing out like last time." Ichigo obeyed, taking a deep breath and holding it. She shut her eyes, feeling the bizarre sensation of her insides tumbling over. It was almost as if she was being turned upside down and spun around and around. Then, she felt gravity coming back on her again. Her feet caught touched the ground with a delicacy she didn't expect. Then, Kish spoke.

"Open your eyes."

* * *

{{A.N./ Dun dun duuuun!=) Reviews are like sunshine in my sky and chocolate chips in my cookies!}}


	6. AVERSUS::part 2

Ichigo opened her eyes.

Surrounding her on all sides was a forest, tree branches hanging close to the ground and sheets of moss drooping off of nearly every branch. Evergreen trees stood interspersed throughout. Pine needles were like a prickly carpet to the soft, cold, crumbly dirt that Ichigo wiggled her toes into. Huge, leafy ferns that came up to Ichigo's waist were scattered everywhere. The dense, humid smell of green things was powerful on Ichigo's senses. From what Ichigo could make out in the dark, she saw no surrounding light for miles around. There was something else unsettling about the woods. Ichigo curiously wondered what it could be that made her feel strange about it.

"This is part of my own secret spot deep in the woods," Kish finally said from behind her. "You like it?"

When Kish spoke, Ichigo realized what had scared her so much. It was quiet. The forest seemed free of sound except for the soft sound of a frog off in the distance and the almost inaudible buzz of a far away insect.

"Yes," Ichigo answered simply. She paused, tipping her head to one side. "It's so quiet…"

"Exactly what I thought when I first came here," remarked Kish. He stepped ahead of Ichigo and began to walk farther in. Ichigo hurriedly followed close behind. "I'm not even sure why."

"Why it's so quiet, or why you first came here?" Ichigo said.

"Why it's quiet," Kish said. "I came here because I needed quiet. So I found this place suitable for what I'd been out to find. When I traveled deeper, I found an even better place. And that's where we're going."

"I suppose that's a nice place to have," Ichigo remarked. "Your own place to be alone, I mean."

"You don't have one?" Kish said sympathetically. He cast a quick glance behind him to make sure Ichigo was still close behind. Then he kept his steady pace into the forest.

"Why do you assume that?" Ichigo asked.

"Your tone of voice," Kish said. "It gives you away." Ichigo paused in her speaking. She stared at her feet as she hopped over a mossy log and parted a bush of ferns with her hand. Ichigo would almost believe they were going in circles. The forest's landscape never changed from the ferns, the moss, and the evergreens, except for the occasional log or small clearing.

"Well…there's my room. I guess that's my own quiet place when I need to think."

"But even then, people can find you if they want to."

"Well yes, but imagine the panic the kingdom would be thrown into if they couldn't find me."

"Ichigo, let me ask you something," Kish said. "Are there ever times when you're alone in your room…for an hour or two, maybe?"

"Yes…" Ichigo answered warily, eyebrow raised and face quizzical.

"Imagine going to a place like this whenever you want. Where no one would bother you-"

"But what if someone found that I wasn't in my room?" Ichigo interrupted.

"They'd probably assume you were somewhere else, like the restroom or the kitchens or something like that. We," Kish paused for a moment at the word "we", as if the word was new to his tongue. "…we, living in castles so massive, could be anywhere. And one servant isn't going to panic if they can't find you for several minutes. After all, you wouldn't be gone for whole days…just…an hour or two."

"Kish, you've forgotten one tiny detail," said Ichigo.

"And what's that, Kitten?"

"I can't teleport."

This seemed to stump Kish for a moment. He had forgotten that Ichigo was of the Human race. She was of the High Humans, but a human nonetheless. He had almost started thinking of her as an angel due to her off-limits nature, which he was used to dealing with in connection with angels.

"You have a point there," Kish remarked bluntly. Ichigo, from behind Kish, rolled her eyes. They both walked on in silence for a minute or so. It started to become awkward, and both individuals strained to think of something to say.

"Almost there," Kish murmured.

"'kay."

More silence, as there often is among couples who have yet to discover common interests.

While Ichigo was considering how to break the ice, she was suddenly reminded of her ears. She put her hands to her ears to feel them delicately. To her surprise, her ears had gotten larger from the last time she had looked at them- before she got into bed…which was 2, 3 hours ago? She had been lying in bed awake for a while before Kish had whisked her off to the forest she was in now. Ichigo, much to her dismay, had hopelessly lost track of time. She didn't even know if she had been walking for two minutes or ten. But whatever the time was, her ears had grown in several hours. Lettuce had never mentioned how fast her ears would grow. Ichigo had first started developing fuzzy parts to her ears overnight, after all. It was the weirdest thing that had happened to her body since, well, puberty. Something else came to Ichigo's mind once she thought about her ears. Most of the adult humans that were gifted with cat genes like Ichigo also had tails. Did that mean she was going to grow a tail? Ichigo bit her lip. Would that mean she would have to cut holes in all her clothes to make room for it? She could probably wear her tail under her dresses without cutting holes in them, but what about her pantyhose? She would most definitely-

"Hello, Ichigo? Helllloooo?"

Ichigo snapped to attention and looked up to see Kish standing a little ways ahead of her with a humorous smirk spread all across his face. Ichigo scowled.

"Don't look at me like that!"

Kish couldn't help but snicker a little off to the side before sending an apologetic grin towards Ichigo. Ichigo, though she secretly thought herself funny too, was not about to let Kish know that she was the least bit amused.

"Okay, Ditz," Kish said, "this is the 'little bit of flying' I was talking about. Now you have a choice for me to either carry you while we're flying, or you can hop on my shoulders and ride me like some kind of magical unicorn I'm sure you've dreamed about in your own little Ditz-world." Ichigo turned a rosy shade of red, ran a hand up and down her neck, and sighed.

"Why couldn't we just teleport directly there?" she mumbled.

"I'll tell you when we get there," Kish answered. "Now which will it be?"

"I guess I'll get on your shoulders," Ichigo replied, not liking the idea of being carried by Kish. What if he accidentally dropped her? She trusted Kish- more than what was wise- but she didn't trust him to carry her in flight. She wouldn't even trust Masaya with that. So she took her time walking over to Kish, who knelt down and let Ichigo awkwardly scoot onto his shoulders. Kish seemed to be enjoying every second of it, grasping onto Ichigo's bare ankles once she was securely on his shoulders. Ichigo was about to squeak out a protest before she thought about her circumstances. The more secure she was, the better. Even if it involved Kish touching her bare legs. Kish stood up and immediately began giving instructions.

"Now once I'm completely in the air, I'm going to fly level with the ground. That's when I need you to get off of my shoulders and hug my neck instead. You can brace your legs with my wings if you really need to, but we'll get there faster if you can stand without." Ichigo swallowed hard.

"Um…okay…I don't think I can do this," she murmured.

"Hey, if all else fails, we'll just teleport, and you'll be unconscious again," Kish said casually and with a remarkably straight face. "Then you'll be back in bed and never know where I was taking you and why we had to walk part of the way there."

Ichigo, sighing deeply, nodded. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Good, because you're heavier than you look," Kish remarked. Ichigo rewarded Kish with a little slap across the top of his head. "Ow!" Kish muttered. "We're not going anywhere if you start beating up your ride."

"Alright, I'll stop," Ichigo said. "But you deserv-WOAAAH!"

Ichigo was cut off by Kish taking two long strides through a thick part of the ferns to what Ichigo thought was a hill. Kish's third stride was more of a jump, and Ichigo found herself mid-air over a green valley two hundred feet beneath them. She instinctively shrieked. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. Immediately Kish's wings spread out and they were pulled upwards. His wings took them father up above the valley so they were above the ground they had been walking on before. After Ichigo had gotten over the initial shock of flying, her screams turned into gasps for breath. Flying was amazing. The world looked so strange and new from the air. She wasn't very high up, but she already felt like she was on top of the world. The forest they were in seemed to go on for a long, long time in one direction, but off to the side she saw where it broke off, and there stood Kish's castle on the horizon.

"Okay, Ichigo, move!" Kish grunted, struggling to gain altitude with Ichigo as an extra weight. Ichigo swung her legs off of Kish's shoulders and instead grabbed onto his neck as fast as she could. At first, she found herself using Kish's wings to brace her legs with, as Kish had advised not to, but she soon found that she could move her legs and still have a secure hold on Kish. So she relaxed her legs and let them fall back to where Kish's legs were. Her arms still wrapped around Kish's neck, Ichigo clasped one of her wrists with the opposite hand. As she did, her hand happened to brush against Kish's neck. It was wet from sweating.

"You're doing great!" Kish strained to say.

"Speak for yourself!" Ichigo cried. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Gimmie a few seconds," Kish groaned. He flapped his wings a few more times to gain a little more altitude, then stretched them to their full length and let himself soar. He let out a breath.

"There," he said in between breaths. "Sorry to scare you. Takeoff is the hard part. Once I can glide like this, it's all easy stuff."

"Once again…why didn't we just teleport?" Ichigo asked.

"I told you, I'll tell you when we get there!" Kish laughed breathlessly. "You ever been flying before?"

"Well, no…" Ichigo admitted bashfully.

"Glad I could be your first!" Kish exclaimed. "How do you like flying so far?"

"It's…quite a rush…" Ichigo said hesitantly, laughing a little to herself.

"Heh, imagine what it's like for the one who actually has to do all the work," Kish remarked. "I thought I wasn't gonna make it-"

"Wait a second!" Ichigo burst out in surprise. "Do you mean to say that we almost fell just now?"

"Yup," Kish said nonchalantly. "But we made it, didn't we?"

Kish was promptly smacked over the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Kish whined.

"At least tell me when I'm about to die!" Ichigo moaned. "I don't know why I still trust you like I do!"

"But you didn't die, did you?" said Kish.

Ichigo shut her mouth, scowling. She couldn't think of a comeback except for a meek, barely spoken: "I might've."

"But you didn't, so you should be thanking me," said the arrogant Kish. Ichigo proceeded to scowl some more. She had given up arguing, seeing it was incredibly hard to argue with Kish. Ichigo was also a good 500 feet off the ground, which didn't help the situation much, seeing as she could be easily dropped. The wind was rushing by and Ichigo's hair was flying all over her face. In an odd way, flying felt like running did, except without her feet touching the ground.

Ichigo's neck was stiff from keeping her neck craned upwards. She had been looking over Kish's head this whole time, and her neck hurt. So she laid her lead down on Kish's back and idly stared off to the side at one of his wings. Ichigo was lying in between his two wings, which were set close enough together so that Ichigo's waist just fit between them. At each upstroke of the wings, Ichigo felt them squeezing her waist slightly. For once in her life, she felt like thanking her cooks and their strict diet schedule for keeping her thin, otherwise the wings would actually feel constrictive on her middle. For now, it just felt like she was getting a hug over and over again. Ichigo's grip around Kish relaxed a little. She loosely folded her hands in front of his neck instead of the death grip she'd had on her wrist before. Kish noticed.

"Comfortable?" Kish asked complacently.

"Don't ruin this for me," Ichigo muttered dryly.

"I didn't know there was any special moment I was ruining," Kish replied.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Ichigo said.

Kish chose to say nothing, only smiling to himself, a smile that was (luckily) out of Ichigo's sight. A few moments passed in silence before Kish broke it with, "Ichigo, I thought I should tell you- we're going to start loosing altitude in a few seconds. You should probably get back on my shoulders."

"Thanks for the warning," Ichigo muttered sarcastically. Even though she was secretly enjoying the ride, she wasn't about to feed Kish's ego and let him know that. Actually, it felt oddly comfortable to know that she was safe up in the air with him. Ichigo couldn't figure out why in the heck she trusted Kish so much, even after he had hid from her that she might die. And he still wasn't telling her why they couldn't teleport to where they were going to. Was it some kind of sacred place you weren't allowed to teleport in? She really had no idea. But she continued to trust Kish, even though her common sense told her it was incredibly stupid to do so.

"Okay, get on!" Kish commanded. Ichigo complied, scooting up to Kish's shoulders and swinging her legs over them. She heard Kish groan to himself.

"Are you sure we're not gonna fall?" Ichigo asked cautiously.

"You'll be alright!" Kish replied. "Now hold on tight!" Ichigo rested her hands on Kish's head and took a deep breath. Kish's wings suddenly pulled upwards, and they began to loose altitude quickly. Ichigo shrieked quickly before gasping air to her shocked lungs. Kish's wings suddenly started to flap again, hard and fast, and they began to descend into one of the small clearings that were scattered throughout the vast forest. Ichigo held her breath as Kish slowly lowered his legs and arms. They were still flying down, circling at a fast rate. Ichigo wondered if Kish was going to break a limb trying to land with her extra weight on top of him. Then she remembered something. She had cat genes. She could jump for herself, land on her feet, and maybe save Kish the extra pressure on his limbs. She had jumped from heights taller than the 15-foot drop they were at now. The question was: warn Kish, then jump; or jump, and let Kish freak out? She chose a combination of the two.

"Watch this!" she yelled. As she had practiced many-a-time when she was a kid, she sprung off of Kish's shoulders with her cat-like reflexes and fell. Mechanically, her legs stretched to match the plane of the ground, and they bent in order to absorb impact. Her arms outstretched, she was able to land on the ground perfectly, no harm done. Except for the mental damage to Kish. Kish, without the extra weight, was able to immediately land right behind Ichigo. He didn't take an extra moment to rush over to Ichigo and wrap his arms around her tightly and securely. Ichigo was immediately surrounded in his warmth.

"Don't ever do something like that again. EVER." Kish's voice scared Ichigo. It sounded angry at her. She felt scared at the sound of his voice. Then she heard his breathing. It was raspy and shuddering profusely. Ichigo had never thought she could hurt him this much. All she meant to do was get revenge for him scaring her so much.

"Kish, I didn't know I was going to scare you like that," Ichigo whispered. "I just wanted to help you…and maybe scare you a little to get you back for scaring me."

Silence.

Ichigo wondered if she had said the wrong thing. She wanted to take it back now, wishing she hadn't said anything about "getting him back". After what seemed like a few long minutes of quiet, Kish let out a sigh and, surprisingly, a short laugh.

"I get it," he said. His voice sounded remarkably normal again. "I had that one coming, didn't I?" Ichigo managed to smile.

"Yes you did," she spoke into his shirt, nuzzling her face in his warmth.

"That was a great landing, Kitten," Kish remarked. "Didn't know you could do that."

"Cats always land on their feet," Ichigo reminded him.

"Guess so…" Kish murmured. "You wanna get going? We're almost there."

"'There' being where we set off to go in the first place?" Ichigo asked. She was getting weary of adventure already. What time was it anyway?

"That's right, Kitten," Kish said. He paused, releasing Ichigo from his arms. "Kitten…what happened to your ears?"

Once again, Ichigo had completely forgotten about her growing ears. She reached up and felt them. They were even bigger than before, and fuzzy. She wished she could see them herself. They felt to her like they would look ridiculous if she could see them.

"Um…well, I'm growing my cat ears," she admitted bashfully, staring down at her feet. Kish stretched the biggest grin Ichigo had ever seen all across his face.

"I was kinda wondering if you ever were going to get ears!" Kish exclaimed. "Are you going to have a tail too?"

"I…I don't really know…I guess I am," Ichigo said.

"That's fantastic!" Kish said, the grin still covering his face. He turned and started walking into the woods. Ichigo stood and stared at him in disbelief.

"Why are you so excited?" she muttered.

"It'll make you that much cuter!" Kish said bluntly, turning his head to wink at Ichigo. "You coming?"

"Y-yeah," Ichigo mumbled quietly. She was almost as pink as her hair. Quickly scrambling after Kish, she asked, "Can you tell me why we walked and why we flew?"

"Not yet," Kish said. "We're not there yet." Ichigo sighed. Her bare feet were starting to be sore.

"How much longer do we have to walk?" she asked after a minute or two.

"We're there…right about…" Kish trailed off. He turned and took Ichigo by the hand, leading her ahead of him. Ichigo saw something ahead of her through the trees. They kept walking until…

"…now."

Ichigo stood in a still silence, looking in quiet awe towards the place Kish had led her to. It was a completely still, crystal-clear pond that looked to be about as big as Ichigo's room. It was surrounded by tall trees and lush grass that seemed to glow from the luminous light the pond was emitting. The pond was flawlessly reflecting the light of the moon that hung overhead. All around the edge were patches of long grass and rocks that jutted out of the water. The very simple beauty of the pond was what made Ichigo smile.

"It's beautiful," she murmured. Kish couldn't stop smiling. He slipped his hand into Ichigo's and led her closer. The cool, moist grass nearer to the pond soothed Ichigo's feet. Kish led Ichigo up to the very edge, in a spot where the grass was not as tall.

"This is my quiet spot," murmured Kish. He spoke like he was going to disturb the pond with his voice. "This is where I come when I need to be alone."

"Wow…" Ichigo breathed. She looked at the smooth, glassy water. It looked like it hadn't been touched in days. She wanted to put her feet into it. Badly. "Kish, can I…?" her voice trailed off when she realized that the pond was probably sacred or something. She shut her mouth.

"What?" Kish asked curiously.

"…put my feet in the water?" Ichigo asked meekly, feeling like the little kid wanting to throw sticks in a lake. Kish smirked.

"Of course," he said. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well it's your pond…" Ichigo started. She sat down on the bank. "And I kind of assumed it was sacred or something…"

Ichigo put out her foot and delicately dipped her toe into the water. It was cold, and soothing to her foot. She quickly took it off of the water and watched the ripple carry across the pond. It felt wrong to be disturbing the pond. She wasn't sure why, but Ichigo felt as if she was interrupting something or intruding on the pond's quietness. But now that she already had done something about it, Ichigo dunked both of her feet into the pond. The cool, soothing water brought a refreshing, healing feeling to her feet and calmed her sore feet. She immediately exhaled.

Kish came and sat cross-legged next to Ichigo, watching her feet as she was doing. Ichigo flapped her feet up and down in the water like the end of a paddleboat or a pair of flippers. Kish continued to watch her feet, a smile still playing on his lips. Ichigo, bored of the water, took her feet out and sat on them. She leaned over and peered into the water. It was still rippling, but she could vaguely see her reflection. Indeed, her ears looked rather ridiculous. They had grown up her head into bigger ears, and were almost totally black with fur. The human ear's anatomy was still present, making her ears look even more like goblin or troll ears. Ichigo let out a groan.

"Ugh. I wish my ears would hurry up and grow all the way," Ichigo moaned, hugging her knees towards her.

"How long have they been like that?" Kish asked.

"Since this morning," Ichigo answered. "They've grown really fast, actually."

"Well then at that rate, you don't have much longer before they're through," Kish said.

"I know…" Ichigo moaned. "It would be nice if they would be totally grown by the time I wake up. They're already starting to itch from all the fur." Kish looked at Ichigo curiously.

"Hey, Kitten?"

"Hm?"

"Can I feel your ear?"

Ichigo rolled her eyes.

"You really have to?" Kish wore a begging look that made Ichigo wonder what was so fascinating about her ears. She was inclined to tell him no.

"Please?" he asked.

"…fine," Ichigo muttered. Kish reached out a hand and stroked Ichigo's ear, then scratched behind it like a cat's. Ichigo began to purr. She noticed it too, and put a hand to her mouth. She tried to swallow the purr. No luck. Kish smirked.

"That's what I thought," he said. "I had a feeling that would happen."

"No more scratching," Ichigo hissed. Kish continued to smirk, moving his hand to the grass behind Ichigo instead. Ichigo noticed. Her eyes darted from Kish's arm, to Kish, and back to his arm.

"Ichigo," Kish said softly, "…can we come here again?"

"I…I guess so…" Ichigo replied. "I like it here."

"Can I take you other places too?" Kish asked enthusiastically. "I have to show you the mountains, my garden, all around the Demon Kingdom. I could take you on a tour around the village and teach you all about our culture!" At this, he spread his arms wide, a big smile on his face. Ichigo tipped her head to one side.

"And you promise I won't get caught?"

"Promise," Kish reassured her. "The touring part will have to be when you have a free day to yourself. You can make up some excuse about going to Masaya's place or something. Just trust me, it's worth it." Ichigo smiled.

"I'd like that," she said. "I'd really, really like that. Just as long as I-"

"Don't get caught, I know," Kish interrupted. "You won't. You're talking to the prince of demons here. I know how to get away with stuff. I also know people who would dress up to look like you and go the day in your place. That can be arranged as well."

"And I wouldn't get caught in the demons' village looking like a human."

"Exactly right," Kish answered. "And I won't get caught as a prince."

"We're going to be doing a lot of lying if we're gonna make this work, aren't we?" Ichigo sighed.

"Yup," Kish answered. "And you're going to have to learn to trust me more."

"I already do…more than I should," said Ichigo. She looked up into Kish's eyes and smiled a weary half-smile. Kish smiled happily back.

Ichigo yawned. Kish frowned.

"Are you ready to get back?" Kish asked. Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbled, stretching her arms above her head.

"Okay, we'll teleport from here," Kish replied. Ichigo paused.

"Wait…why didn't we just teleport here in the first place?" she asked.

"Because that would be no fun," Kish replied with his cocky grin. "This way, I could spend a lot more time with you. But now that you know I just wasted about an hour of your life getting here, would you like to go back?"

For the third time that night, Kish was smacked over the head.

* * *

{{A.N./ Whew, long chapter! And I wrote it all in the course of the past three days! Yup, this is all from scratch. None of this is the year-old stuff that I've been working with in the previous chapters. By the way, **Aversus = Backwards **in Latin. All of these chapter titles are in Latin, just so you know. I picked backwards for this section of chapters because they kinda focus on Ichigo's life being turned in a totally new direction from what she was used to. Her life was turned completely backwards. Get where I'm coming from?

Review and put a smile on my face! Don't be shy. =)}}


	7. AVERSUS::part 3

_**It's been two months since the worst complication in my life ran off with my heart.**_

I'm not even sure where to start, what I'm supposed to be writing. I guess I'll begin from the start.

I don't even remember when exactly it was. It could've been the moment I heard his voice. Maybe it was when I first looked into his golden eyes. It could've been when our skin first touched. Maybe it was when he first smiled. I don't remember the exact moment, the exact time that it clicked. But I just knew it. I knew that something had happened. Something I thought would never happen. I began to feel something. Hopes began to spring up in my head. Every word he said, my mind took in and began to twist into something I wanted to hear. Even though these thoughts seemed silly to me at that time, and they still seem silly to me now, they were a sign. Soon my mind began to wander off to him every time it went blank. My daydreams turned into dreams of him. I thought it was something stupid, some little crush I would recover from soon. But it didn't go away. It wasn't one of those hormonal, week-long crushes that all teenaged girls take on in their lives. He won't get out of my head, no matter how many times I list off his faults and try to fool my brain into thinking that he isn't worth my time.

I notice the littlest details about him. I know what his favorite pair of shoes look like. I know that one of his huge ears is slightly pointier than the other. I know how long his eyelashes are. I know how his bat-like wings are more of a blueish-black in the light. I know how he always plays with his fingers. I know his smell. I know his laugh. I know how his footsteps sound. I know when he is smiling because he loves teasing me, and when he is smiling because he _loves me. _

I have the feeling he knows more about me than I know about myself, and it scares me. What does he see in me that no other boy does? Why is he the only one who seems to care? Why is it that the one boy that fascinates me the most is the one I have to stay away from?

What's happening to me?

* * *

Ryou replaced the letter where he found it- next to the sleeping Ichigo on her bed. He turned on his heel and marched out of the room with a huff. His right-hand man followed closely behind.

"Sir?"

Ryou sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he walked, eyes closed. All he had been intending to do is wake Ichigo up for her foreign language instruction. He was a kind enough instructor to come and fetch her, and here he found her asleep. Ryou, being an old acquaintance of Ichigo's, did not shy to invite himself into Ichigo's room in an attempt to wake her up. But before he could, he had found the letter. Now he wished he had never stepped foot in that room, or never picked up the letter. But what was read couldn't be un-read. Ryou slowly opened his eyes and shook his head.

"Keiichiro, I believe this country is in a bit of a situation."

* * *

_/end section two.../_

{{A.N./ Yeah, it's a mini-chapter. But I introduced Ryou a bit! Yup, he's Ichigo's language instructor. Keiichiro's there too! Don't worry, you'll see them a bit more. They're not major characters, so they won't show up a lot in the story, but I figured I might as well throw them in the monkey pit, because they do make a few more appearances in later chapters. =)

And if you guys are wondering, the letter portion Ichigo wrote is a (slightly modified) part of one of the unsent letters I write to someone very close to me. Just thought you might want to know that that section came from somewhere close to the heart. ;-)/}}


	8. ANIMI::part 1

Twilight settled over the kingdom like a giant blanket being pulled over the horizon. Darker colors settled and bled through the sky. The air became cold and still. Birds settled into nesting and ceased their excited chirping. Night, not yet come, was quietly waiting to set in for the kill.

Ichigo had just woken up.

She stirred a little at first, then shot up in bed when she realized what time it was. Excitedly looking out the window, she realized that the day was spent and night was coming quickly. She had spent half of the day asleep, and now, when everyone else was just settling in, she was getting up. Ichigo groaned and rubbed her forehead. Her head felt woozy from sitting up so fast. She eyed the bed, wondering whether to get back in. She felt so energetic now…why would she? Ichigo knew this was going to be one long night.

As Ichigo looked towards her bed, her eyes wandered down to the piece of paper lying on the floor. She figured she must have pushed it off in her sleep at some point. Curiously picking it up, she looked it over. She had to hide it. What if someone found it? What if Kish found it? Ichigo couldn't help but smile when his name entered her mind. She liked hearing her mind say it over and over again. _Kish, Kish, Kish_. Thinking about him made her happy. Ichigo folded the letter and tucked it under her pillow for now. She hoped desperately that Kish would come see her that night. Maybe it would make the night more bearable for her. She couldn't deny that she was head-over-heels. She _liked _that she was. She had never been before, not even for Masaya. And she didn't care. She enjoyed the feeling she got when she realized that she could relate to a lot of the love songs she had heard.

The only difficulty was when she began to actually think logically. She was being married. She couldn't ignore it forever. But she pushed the thought out of her mind whenever it came. Or, tried to. It still bothered her occasionally, but then she could easily flood her mind with thoughts of her love (that was what she had decided it was), and Kish filled her mind like a drop of ink in a glass of water. As long as Ichigo pretended to be naive to the situation, she could easy distract her thoughts. Some voice in the back of her mind told her she would have to face her problems eventually. Ichigo chose not to listen.

Now Ichigo had convinced herself that Kish would come. He usually came to her bedroom once or twice a week to talk, and he had already come once that week. But it was Thursday, near the end of the week, and Ichigo had a feeling that he would. So she looked in the mirror, fixed her hair, and did all other sorts of things to keep her restless hands occupied. She glanced back at her tail, which swayed back and forth like a reed in the wind. She petted her tail idly and wondered where the ribbon she usually dressed it with had gotten to. It probably had fallen off when she was sleeping. Turning from her mirror, she was about to walk back to her bed when she saw something move outside her widow. The corners of her mouth turned up and she strode over to the window. There was nothing out there…or so it seemed. Ichigo smiled and leaned her head out of her window dreamily, batting her eyelashes.

"Oh, dear," she said melodramatically. "I wish a certain someone would share this oh-so-boring night with me. If only that certain someone were here…"

"Alright, you caught me," Kish mumbled, stepping out of a shadowed wall next to Ichigo's window. Ichigo's smile grew brighter. She offered a hand and he took it with his huge, warm one. His skin was soft and it send electricity up her arm and to the rest of her body. She led Kish inside her room. Releasing his hand, Ichigo relaxed into a sitting position on her bed.

"So what's new?" she asked.

"Mmm…not much," Kish mumbled, shrugging. "Dad's still not doing so good. I've been spending a lot of time in his chambers lately." Ichigo bowed her head.

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that."

Kish shook his head slowly.

"It's not your problem. It's just sad that he has to pass…before his time."

"But he's not going to!" Ichigo said. "He's going to get better, right?" Kish, slowly sighing, cast a woeful look in Ichigo's direction. Ichigo lowered her head, ashamed of speaking about what she didn't know much about.

"I…I'm sorry," she muttered. "I spoke out of term. Again." Kish relaxed, his shoulders slumping. He even managed a little smile as he sat down next to Ichigo.

Putting his arm around her waist, he said, "Ichigo, you really need to stop apologizing for things you didn't even do. Don't sweat it. This isn't one of your classes or anything." Ichigo's lips turned into a half-hearted smile.

"Thanks…I guess. It's just not my part to talk about stuff like that."

"Actually, it is. That's the reason I came here today." Ichigo's face lifted and she looked towards Kish with the utmost curiosity.

"What do you mean…?" Kish took a deep breath and straightened his back, as though he was about to begin a speech. Reading his body language, Ichigo relaxed slightly and crossed her legs.

"Well, Ichigo…as you know, I'm a prince. My father is the king. That's the basics of it. My father is very ill, and he's not looking like he's going to get any better. The medics and magicians are doing everything they can, but he's most likely going to die an early age. Well since I'm a year past the Childish Years- ages 1 to 16- I'm qualified to be a king. My father has trained me hard since I was very little, so I'm strong enough to go into battles and stuff." Kish paused. "…do you get where I'm going with this?"

"You're…going to be…a king? The king of the Demon Kingdom?" Ichigo said slowly. Kish nodded grimly. Ichigo bit her lip. "Wow."

"I kinda knew it would happen eventually," Kish murmured. "I don't know if I've told you already, but I'm an only child. My older brother died in a battle about a year ago, so I became the heir. Soon it will be my responsibility to take over the kingdom."

"King…" Ichigo whispered, blankly staring at her loosely folded hands. Kish, following her gaze, placed his hand over hers. He leaned his head up against hers and placed a gentle kiss in her hair.

"I don't expect you to think of me any differently," he continued. "But it's going to be hard to meet up after I'm crowned. Really, really hard. We're going to have to make some changes. You may need a disguise, a second identity. I might have to hire someone that looks just like you to stand in your place. Or…there's another option."

The sudden seriousness in Kish's voice sent a tremor of fear through Ichigo. She hesitantly whispered, "Go on…"

Kish unwrapped his hand from around Ichigo's waist and swooped down to crouching on the floor in front of her. He reached up and pulled Ichigo closer to him. Ichigo gasped silently. Kish's eyes shimmered in the still light of the moon. He touched his forehead to hers and murmured, "Ichigo…come away with me. You can leave this place behind and never worry about going back. All you have to do is-"

"No!" Ichigo cried, jolting back. "Running away? No, I could never!"

"Why?" Kish pleaded, rising to meet Ichigo's face once more. "Why can't you? What's wrong with leaving? You hate this place! You said so yourself!" Ichigo scrambled back farther onto her bed, shaking her head.

"I can't! I couldn't! There's no way I'd be able to leave my whole life here! I'd send the entire kingdom into the panic! Masaya would…he'd…"

"He'd move on," Kish finished firmly. "They'd find someone to replace you, like they did to that one girl before you."

"That was before I was a recognized face! Before I was a celebrity! It would throw the whole government into a panic. Ever since I was a child, I've been aware of my future engagement to Price Masaya. It's what's been expected of me since I was a little girl!"

"But that's why you have to get away," Kish insisted. "No more stress! No more marriage! No more peer pressure! Ichigo, you're always ranting on about freedom and happiness, and here it's right in front of your face!"

Ichigo bit her lip. Kish let out a breath. They both sat silent for a very long time.

"Ichigo, I-"

"I need to think. Please, just…just go."

Kish narrowed his eyes. "No." Ichigo lifted her eyes to glare at Kish, who stared back at her, emotionless. "I'm not leaving until I ask you a question."

"What?" Ichigo spat.

"After I leave…can I come back?"

Ichigo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes…yes you can." Standing up, Kish took his leave out the window, saying nothing as he went.

_If only they were both just simple peasants living in the same kingdom. If only they lived in the same kingdom. If only Kish wasn't the heir. If only Ichigo wasn't engaged._

Ichigo waited a few moments to ensure Kish had left for good. Then she hung her head.

She cried.

* * *

Once Kish had arrived back in his bedroom, he cracked his knuckles and uttered a long line of curses under his breath. He grit his teeth and paced around his room.

"God damn it, why'd I have to go and yell at her?" he snarled under his breath. "I think I almost had her there, too. I'm such an idiot…" He kicked the side of his bed and cursed again (more loudly this time) when his foot proved weaker than he thought. He was just thinking of going flying somewhere to cool off when one of the palace's maids burst in.

"Thank god you're back!" she cried.

"What?" Kish snapped. The maid curtsied in apology.

"I'm so very sorry, but the head magician requests your presence immediately!" Kish clammed up immediately. The news sounded like it was news about his father, since the magicians were all working hard at their efforts of healing the king.

"Take me to him," Kish replied. The maid nodded.

"Certainly, Your Highness." She walked briskly towards the stairs, which she took at a surprising pace, Kish following close behind. The maid continued across a hall, through a door, and down some more stairs. She opened a door at the bottom and held it open for Kish, who swept in and immediately demanded, "What of my father, Voit?"

Voit, the head magician, picked at a inhumanly long fingernail, turned, and looked to Kish with his good eye. He smiled a crooked smile and said, "Well, Your Highness, it seems that your father isn't the only one whose future looks rough." Kish, confused, wondered what Voit knew about him. Sure, he was an amazing old coot, but how could he so soon figure out Kish's plans concerning Ichigo? Pai had sensed something as well when he and Kish had first began Kish's training with his new skill. Secrets weren't something easily kept in the royal palace.

Voit, seeing Kish's perplexity, explained: "Your stars changed very dramatically and very rapidly just now. It's quite amazing. Come take a look." He beckoned Kish over to him. Then he paused. "Boy, close that door behind you. You'll let the spirits out." Kish, quite bemused, turned and shut the door before walking over to Voit.

The room they were in at that moment was a basement room mostly made of rock. There were only two other things in the room other than the people in it: a gold basin filled with water and a massive, crystal-clear mirror mounted on the wall behind it. Voit pulled out a small, glass vial from inside his robe. Pulling out the cork, he deposited the smallest drop of a purple liquid into the basin of water. He replaced the cork and put the vial back into his robe. The purple liquid dissolved into the basin and tinted the water in the slightest shade of purple. Voit extended his hand to Kish.

"I want you to direct my hand to the mirror in front of me," he said. "This will project what I am seeing onto it." Kish nodded and positioned his hand to point to the mirror. "Palm side up, please," Voit corrected. Kish flipped the hand around. "Good."

Voit took a deep breathe and submerged only the surface of his face into the water with his eyes wide open. His hand began to glow the same pale-purple as the water. Kish watched the mirror, where a foggy image began to appear. It was so dark it could barely be seen. But there was definitely something there. Rapid movement. It was like watching something through unfocused eyes that were constantly in motion. But every once in a while Kish was able to make out something in the flurry of movement. Once he saw Masaya holding Ichigo. And later he saw an angel army in huge ranks at the gates to the Demon Kingdom. Then he saw something that fascinated him- it was Ichigo, but she was flying with angel wings. And then, among the flurry of movement on the mirror, something that scared him so much he wanted to look away. He saw himself. But he saw himself in such a broken state that his smile was sadistic-looking and his face was covered in blood and tears. Kish averted his eyes from the mirror for an instant. He couldn't look at himself like that. When his eyes found their way back to the mirror, he caught one more image before the picture faded. He was kissing Ichigo. Kish inhaled sharply as his eyes darted from the screen to Voit, whose face slowly rose from the gold basin. Voit had seen everything Kish had. If Voit's good eye was as sharp as both of Kish's eyes, then he might've seen the ears on the girl at the end of the visual prophesy or noticed that it was the same girl that was flying earlier on. Voit stood still for a moment or two, staring blankly at the water in the basin. He shook his head.

"And who would be the lady that caused this catastrophe, pray tell?" he spoke quietly.

"Uh, well…she's this girl that I met in town recently," Kish mumbled. Voit gave Kish a prompt whack over the head. Kish flinched.

"Ow!" he snapped.

"Did you really think you could lie to Voit the Fantastic?" Voit yelled.

"You don't even have the title 'fantastic'," Kish muttered. "You just made that up. Besides, you don't have the right to hit royalty!"

"Well I made up the title myself, and I have the right as long as you remain an adolescent prince! When you're a king, maybe we'll talk about whose right is whose. In the meantime, you still have to answer my question with the truth: who is the girl who damned your whole life just now?"

"Damned?" Kish exclaimed.

"Well so it looks," Voit muttered. "And she sure doesn't look like she's one of your kind. So what be her, angel or human? She looks to be both."

"I'm not saying a word until you swear not to tell a soul!" Kish hissed.

"It's part of my job to look into people's private lives," Voit said with a wave of his hand. "I keep more secrets than hairs on my head." Glancing at Voit's furry, grey head, Kish considered his words and sighed.

"She's human."

"Ah," Voit said distastefully, as if he had just tasted something sour. "Your Highness is a moron."

Kish scowled. "I know. It's not like I can do anything about it, though."

"Leave."

"I can't."

"That's what I was afraid of." Voit said, shaking his head. "I'm no love doctor, but I've predicted far too many sexual encounters with this method. Every time something like this comes up, I give the same advice- 'leave'. Few take my advice, but those who do have a far higher reputation than those who chose to stay."

Kish cast his eyes to the floor. Voit sensed his depression and said, "You can't hide it forever. By the looks of what we saw, I'd say that your relationship grows stronger until she finds someone else. Brokenhearted, you are driven to insanity and possibly go on some kind of killing spree. That was going by the amount of blood on your clothes at the one rather unpleasant image of yourself."

"But she wouldn't find anyone else!" Kish insisted. "The person she was with is the person she wants to run away from!"

"Or does she?" Voit said. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. Kish scowled more.

"Yes, she does. Is that all you have to show me?"

"Yes. You're free to go if you wish…"

Voit finished with a sigh. Kish, feeling guilty, murmured, "You know, it's already too late."

"That's what they all say," Voit mumbled, downcast. Kish turned and left without another word.

* * *

{{/A.N./Yes! Finally done with this chapter! I have been SO busy this past week, so my most sincere apologies for the lateness! I feel really uncomfortable with using OCs, so this was a huge leap for my FF confidence, even though Voit probably won't appear for another 10 or so chapters... xD Speaking of confidence, I don't know if I'll be able to finish this beast of a fanfic before I have to fly back to school! Maybe you guys will just have to wait half a year for updates...that would be really evil of me. Oh! I also wanted to give a BIG shout-out to all the reviews I've gotten recently! This story is tons more popular than I thought it would be! Every review puts a smile on my face! Thank you!}}


	9. ANIMI::part 2

It was a cold, drizzly afternoon. Thick clouds hung overhead in sheets. The rain was coming down in a sort of light mist that coated everything with a damp gloss. Along in this mist walked Prince Kish. He didn't want anyone to know he was Prince Kish, though. So, to solve that, he put on a long, black velvet, hooded cloak. The hood over his head, he stared out into the rain with a fixed stare.

_I have a really bad feeling about this_, he thought.

He was passing through a more rural part of the city, where farmers and relatives of farmers lived. The streets were relatively empty due to the poor weather (lucky for Kish). He took his time getting to his destination: a stately-looking, stone house off to the side of the road. Surrounding it was a stone fence with an iron gate, ajar for the entrance of visitors. Kish turned into this house, walked up the steps, and knocked on the maple wood door. He waited a bit, and then took a deep breath, trying to feel as dignified and adult-like as he hoped to appear. The door opened, and a man looking to be in his mid-twenties opened it. He pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled at Kish.

"Why, Kish, it's been quite a while, no?"

"Yes, it has, Gato."

"Come in, if you please. You can hang your cloak up over on the hooks to your right." Kish stepped in the warm, cozy house. A roaring fire was in the hearth. Ink, paper, and books were scattered all over a low wooden table. Shelves and shelves of more books lined the walls to the side and back of the living room. Expensive-looking rugs were spread on the floors, they being colors of mahogany, brown, and swirls of royal blue and purple. Kish, once he had hung up his cloak, took a seat on a cushioned bench positioned around the table.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Kish said, nodding to Gato.

"Ah, it's nothing for an old friend," Gato replied. "Now, would you care for some tea or coffee?"

"Black coffee, if you please," Kish said with a smile.

"Black coffee, hm? You're growing up fast." Gato, his long, green ponytail swishing out from behind him, moved to the kitchen around the corner and began to prepare the drinks. "I remember when you were just a small child! You would never eat anything sour or spicy. You preferred everything sweet! Your father has really toughened you up, hasn't he?"

"He has," Kish remarked. "Yet I still don't care for anything spicy."

"Speaking of toughening up," Gato said, setting Kish's coffee before him, "your wings have gotten huge, my boy! You've really been training hard." Kish grinned proudly and took a sip of coffee.

"Well, yes, I have. I try to be the best, since it seems that I'll be taking the throne rather soon."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Gato murmured, taking a seat on the opposite bench. "Your father is not in good heath?"

"No," Kish replied, his face retaining an emotionless look. "He has fallen ill to a bad case of influenza. They're not sure he's going to recover."

"I'm very sorry, Kish," Gato said. He, too, seemed neither sad nor glad. Sipping his green tea, he asked, "So, I heard in your letter that you need some advise with a certain young lady…?" Kish's face seemed to brighten.

He straightened up and said, "Yes. It's rather complicated and secretive, though. Do you swear on your heart that you will not say a word?"

"Of course," Gato insisted, placing a hand over his heart. "Not a soul will know."

Kish sighed, "And will you not laugh if I tell you?"

"That I can't promise," Gato said with a chuckle. "What if you told me that you were in love with a cat? Then I would laugh."

Kish bit his lip. "Well…"

"What, don't tell me you've fallen for a feline!" Gato exclaimed, setting down his tea abruptly.

"Well, no, it's a girl…" Kish said, casting his eyes to the floor, "…but she's human." Gato suddenly looked sullen as he picked up his tea once more.

"Oh dear," he said, shaking his head. "That can't be good."

"It gets worse," Kish muttered, putting his head in his hands. "It's the Princess. Princess Ichigo."

Dead silence. Gato whistled.

"My, you've gotten yourself in quite the pickle."

"I know…"

"My best advice would be to let her go." Kish's head shot up, and he immediately began to rant.

"I-I can't do that! I can't seem to forget about her! She's just so beautiful, and perfect, and…and I just love her so much, but I can't do anything about it! For God's sake, I don't think she even likes me anymore! I think she used to, but she's not even _supposed_ to like me! I mean, I can't blame her, but, Jesus…" Kish groaned and hung his head once more. Gato sighed and sipped his tea.

"The classic Romeo and Juliet scenario. What a shame. They didn't have to face the problems of unrequited love, either…" he paused. "How did you come about meeting the young miss in the first place?" Kish looked embarrassed.

"Uh…well…I sorta kinda kidnapped her." Gato, despite of himself, began to laugh. His rolling laughter seemed to fill the whole house. Kish scowled.

"You said you wouldn't laugh."

"I never promised that!"

"Anyway, it isn't what you think. I only thought of kidnapping her because she's supposed to marry some angel prince to unite the armies of the two kingdoms, and after that they're going to attack our kingdom. I figured that I could stall the attack if I kidnapped and killed the princess, but…"

"…you fell in love with her instead," Gato finished. "That's a rather messy predicament."

"Well, I've tried to get her to back out of the marriage herself, but she seems to think that her government comes before her own happiness, so she won't take up my offers. After I first met her, I began sneaking into her bedroom to talk with her."

"And does she approve of this?"

"Well, sometimes and sometimes not. I think…I hope that she loves me too, but I don't know if she does anymore, since I kinda yelled at her the other night."

"My, my," Gato huffed, setting down his tea. "Wow."

"'Wow' is right. That's why I came to see you." Kish sighed and propped his head on his hand. He swirled his coffee around in the mug.

"Do you know how the story of Romeo and Juliet ended?" Gato asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Juliet was acting dead for some reason, but Romeo didn't know she was acting, so he poisoned himself 'cause he thought she was dead. Then Juliet woke up and saw that Romeo was dead, so she stabbed herself. Right?" Kish paused, blinked, and furrowed his brow. "Are you saying I should commit suicide?"

Gato laughed again. "No, no. I'm saying that is what NOT to do. Killing yourself or Ichigo isn't going to solve anything."

"Right. I'm not stupid, Gato."

"Sure, but men are often reduced to stupidity out of love. You'll know what I'm talking about soon enough." Kish sighed, nodded, and took another sip of coffee.

"This tastes burnt," he remarked critically.

"…said the spoiled prince," replied Gato with a smirk.

"You're not going to help me, are you?" Kish said with a roll of his eyes.

"Actually, I may be able to give you some help if you would tell me what exactly it is you want to accomplish."

"How do I make her fall in love with me?" Kish groaned. "I at least need to know if she already is in love with me, so how do I make her so in love that she'll have to confess? Seriously, I just want to sweep her off her feet and carry her to the palace, but she's not going to let me because of her dedication to her duties as a princess. How can I make her forget that?"

"Well…" Gato murmured, "…you've got the looks. You've got a nice pretty boy face, and you brush your teeth…"

Kish smirked, "Heh, thanks."

"You're certainly strong enough. Your wings are the biggest demon ones I've ever seen."

"I don't know if Ichigo knows that the bigger the wings, the stronger the person."

"Doesn't matter. Big wings look impressive anyway," said Gato with a wave of his hand. "You would look strange with big muscles, so keep that skinny frame."

"I have every intention to," said Kish as he played with his fingers.

"Now, about your attitude. Kissing and flirting with her are some dangerous methods for winning ladies' hearts, you must know. You are using these methods to their fullest, correct?" Kish stopped his fidgeting and looked up at Gato with surprise.

"How the heck did you know that right away?"

"I've known you from childhood, Kish," Gato said, snickering. "You were always the boy either ganging up on girls and throwing rocks at them, or you were off behind a tree kissing one." Kish, thoroughly embarrassed, bowed his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Speaking of throwing rocks, are you hurting or abusing Ichigo at all? Other than the…yelling incident." Kish shook his head.

"No, never. Just yelling at her felt messed-up after I had."

"You need to see someone about your temper," Gato remarked. "That being besides the point, how does Ichigo respond to your visits?"

"Well," Kish stated thoughtfully, "Depending on her mood, she usually acts bored with me or like she's annoyed that I'm there. On a couple rare occasions, she's wanted me there for some reason or another."

"And, on those visits, what does she usually want you for?"

"A shoulder to cry on, mostly," Kish muttered. "She tends to get very emotional and worked up over her marriage with Masaya, so sometimes she needs to let off some steam when the date of the marriage moves closer or she goes on a date with him."

"Masaya is the angel prince?"

"Yeah."

"Does Ichigo love him?"

"No, she doesn't. She says that he's nice and all, but he's too…well, boring. Those aren't her exact words. She said something more like 'not very attractive' and 'overly polite', but I could tell that she was trying to describe that he was boring without using the actual word."

"So, then, if Masaya is boring, ugly, and too polite, what is Ichigo looking for in someone?"

"…she would be looking for someone who is exciting, attractive, and more comfortable than polite."

"That's exactly it!" Gato exclaimed, raising a finger. "Now, tell me, do you fit that description?"

"Actually, yes, I think I do."

"Good! Do you know what that means?"

"Quit talking in questions, Gato."

"I said, 'Do you know what that means?'"

"No, what?"

"That the girl's in love with you! If you match her 'perfect man' description that we just extracted to yourself, then it's pretty clear that she finds you a perfect match for herself."

Kish nodded thoughtfully. "I see your point." He raised his head and smiled. "This is why I come to you, Gato. You're a genius." Gato smirked and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I wouldn't call myself _that_, but I am rather clever, no?"

"You're speaking in questions again," Kish moaned. Gato chuckled.

"Now if I could only be clever enough to remember what the princess looks like," Gato said, stroking his chin. "The name rings a bell. I've heard of her before, and I think I've seen her before. All I remember is that she seemed to have a reputation of being heartbreakingly beautiful…" Kish smiled in pride of his love.

"Well, she has maroon-red hair that comes to her shoulders. She has creamy, pale skin that's smooth all over. Her eyes are a chocolate brown, and they're actually rather large on her face. She has big, black cat ears and a cat tail-"

"Oh, I know her!" Gato cried, almost spilling tea on himself. "Yes, I've seen much portraits and heard gossip from the traders and the men in the marketplace that do business with the countries."

"I thought that was illegal," Kish cut in. "Gato, have you been in the black market again?" Gato smirked and sipped his tea.

"No matter to you, boy." Kish waved it off.

"I won't tell. Continue?"

"Where was I…? Ah, yes.

"The traders say that her beauty is legendary. I've seen portraits of her myself, and she _is_ a real beauty." Gato leaned forward and pointed a long finger at Kish, looking grave. "You are very, very lucky. To even get a chance at a girl like that is amazing. Of course, you're not bad-looking yourself, but, whew…" Gato whistled and rubbed his forehead. Kish leaned back in his seat and put his hands behind his head, sighing.

"She's the girl of my dreams, Gato," Kish murmured. "There's no way I could let her go."

"As you very well shouldn't!" Gato huffed. "If the girl's got any kind of interest in you, and you have gotten to loving her, don't you dare let her go, not until you're dead in your grave, or you'll regret it the rest of your life. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Kish said, grinning. He straightened his posture and gave a messy salute.

"Do you therefore promise that you'll never let this girl go, not until you either stop loving her or even unto death?"

"I do!"

"And do you, then, promise that I can be the best man at your wedding?"

"I do!"

"Then kneel," Gato said, his grin matching the one Kish was wearing. They were both having the best of times out of this. Kish got down on the rug and kneeled. Gato looked left, then right, and grabbed a candlestick from off of the table. Holding it like he would a scepter, he said, "Then I, Gato the Third, son of Gato the Second, do therefore dub thee 'Kish the Dream Chaser'. May the title forever hold fast until your parting day."

So there, in the quaint little stone house on the outside of the city, a promise was made between two men. A promise that held fast to Kish until his dying day. So he was remembered, by the only man who ever knew of the title, as Kish the Dream Chaser.

* * *

{{A.N./ It's kinda funny that I used Gato in this fic because I haven't actually played the Playstation game... I just kinda went off pictures and a small description of the game i found somewhere. So I had some kind of idea of who he was, and I decided this was a good place to use him. I needed some kind of cool older guy character, and Gato was just what popped into my mind! So there you have it. And, just in case you're wondering, yes- Gato does play a part in this story later on and this chapter is his introduction of sorts. He's not some useless character in a useless chapter. xP

Another note: I know I've been avoiding Ichigo's talk with Ryou, and I know it's probably bugging a lot of people because they want to see their sweet action Ryou chapter. So that WILL be coming up next chapter, I promise. [P.S. - I don't hate Ryou, I'm just not too comfortable with his character because I tend to make him OOC.]

Because I'm sure you want to know, **Animi = "At Heart"** ...in Latin, as always.}}


	10. ANIMI::part 3

Ichigo never wanted to get out of bed. And there was no way anyone was going to make her. It was a morning where there seemed like there was nothing worth getting out of bed for. First Kish had to go and pull off her blindfold, revealing to her how terrible her life really was. Once he had convinced her how awful a situation she was in, he offered her a solution she couldn't accept. Now she was stuck in the same place as she was after Kish had removed that blindfold. She could see it now- everything about her life was to paint a pretty picture. All it ever was was the royal family working to put up a big façade around them. Ichigo saw it now, because she had seen life outside the "royalty bubble". But she wished she hadn't. She couldn't un-see anything.

Now that she knew what was wrong, she felt she had to fix it. She had to fix the mess somehow, because she felt it was her duty. She could infiltrate it from the inside. She was the princess. But at the same time, she was powerless. That was how it was set up- a powerless princess was a nice little picture for the people to look at and feel happy knowing such a nice little girl was living in a nice little palace. But it was all wrong. Something was going on inside the "nice little palace" that Ichigo didn't like. And she couldn't do anything about it because she was already caught up in it. What would the king say if Ichigo asked him what was going on? What would she say if she simply told him no? No one ever says no to the king. Not even his daughter.

_But I'm not really his daughter, _Ichigo thought. _My real parents are still out there somewhere. And that's why I have to stay. There are still people here that I need to watch over. I may be powerless, but I'm not deserting those people completely._

There was still Masaya. Even though Ichigo was being married to him without her consent, he couldn't help it. He'd been kind to Ichigo. Ignorant to her inner conflict, but kind all the same. And there was her closest attendants, Lettuce and Pudding. They were there when Ichigo needed them to be. They were the closest things Ichigo had to real friends. She hadn't spoken to either of them for a long while- partially because she couldn't stand keeping her biggest secret from them. But she had to. The same went for Masaya. She wanted to tell the world. It felt like she needed some way to spill her emotion. That was why she had gotten into the habit of writing letters. They would never be sent, but they helped Ichigo sort out her feelings in a way. With the letters she wrote, she could express what she was feeling without confessing anything to any human. After all, if she let the secret slip, it could be enough to start a war.

Enough to start a war…

It was a secret she held close to her. She held the power to start a war. If anyone knew…

"_The prince of demons and princess of humans are in love…"_

"_The prince of demons sneaks out to see the princess of humans, weekly…"_

Both nations would be enraged. Ichigo could be replaced. The old traditions of her kingdom could be put into motion, and a look-alike could take her place as princess. No one would notice if they disguised her well. Then Ichigo would cease to exist. It terrified Ichigo to think about what they would do to her. No one knew what happened to the little child that was the princess before Ichigo was adopted. All anyone knew was that she was sent away. Far away. And no one had heard from her since. The only reason Ichigo knew about the princess before her was because Ichigo had, by chance, remembered her real parents. She rejected the king as her real father. She had remembered a mother. Ichigo had demanded an explanation, and she got it. She wasn't the original princess.

Thinking about the poor little girl before her made Ichigo queasy. It was like she was a ghost, coming back to haunt Ichigo. Ichigo bit her lip and pulled the covers over her head. Even though light had begun shining through her window a long time ago, Ichigo still felt scared.

Ichigo knew she had to get out of bed eventually. But she didn't have any lessons…it was a Sunday that day. It had already been three days since she had last seen Kish. She tried to think less about that and more about the luxury of sleeping in. But all she was really doing was lying in her untidy bed and feeling sweaty under her puffy covers.

A few more minutes of lying in bed and Ichigo was considering getting up and doing something. Then, all of a sudden, Lettuce burst into her room and closed the door behind her.

"Lettuce?" Ichigo said, straightening up in bed. Lettuce wasn't one to burst in on Ichigo without knocking.

Lettuce, looking embarrassed, said, "I-I'm sorry for coming in without warning, Ichigo! It was either me or him…"

"What?" Ichigo asked, narrowing her eyes. "What's going on?" She swung her legs over the bed and ran a hand through her hair. Lettuce stared at her feet.

"Your instructor Ryou Shirogane requests your presence…immediately. He told me to tell you…" Lettuce hesitated, biting her lip.

"What?" Ichigo asked. "Just spit it out!"

"He said to tell you 'You'd better have a good explanation'," Lettuce blurted out. "I'm sorry for intruding!"

"Lettuce, it's fine!" Ichigo laughed. "You're alright. It's probably just Ryou being grouchy again. I missed my lesson a few days ago, so he's just going to yell at me and let me go." Ichigo got off her bed and walked into her closet, where she began to dress.

"Well, he's really, really angry…" Lettuce murmured.

"I think I can handle it," Ichigo said from inside the closet. She emerged with a clean dress and ran a brush through her hair quickly. "Okay, take me to him." Lettuce obeyed, taking Ichigo's hand and leading her through the corridors of the palace to the king's office. Ichigo began to sweat when she saw where she was being led to. She'd have to be lectured in front of the king? That was an all-time low for Ryou.

Lettuce knocked on the door twice, released Ichigo's hand, and opened the door.

"Princess Ichigo has arrived," she said. Curtsying, she left without another word, only a pitying glance at Ichigo. She shut the door behind her.

Ichigo looked around the office. The king wasn't there. Ryou was the only one in the room. And Lettuce was right- Ryou looked angry, more so than usual. Ichigo gulped. Ryou had his arms crossed, and he simply stared at Ichigo like he was expecting her to say something. Ichigo folded her hands behind her and fidgeted with her fingers.

"Um…I'm sorry for missing my lesson the other day…I guess I slept through it. It won't happen again." A pathetic excuse for an apology, she knew. But now she had forced the conversation on Ryou. It was his turn to speak. Ichigo looked up at him through her bangs and tried to read his expression. It grew more stern than before, if that was even possible.

"Did you really think you could get away with it?" he hissed.

"I didn't even plan to fall asleep! I just kind of did…" Ichigo mumbled.

"I suppose writing a little letter would help you fall asleep," Ryou snarled, beginning to pace. "You know, a love letter about how much you love and adore someone with golden eyes and dark wings that are blue in the light…"

Ichigo felt sick. Her stomach lurched and her muscles froze up. Her brain seemed to deflate in her head. All her logical systems began to shut down. Her head began to slowly shake back and forth, seemingly of its own will.

"You look pale," Ryou remarked. "I think I've struck a nerve."

"You…" Ichigo whispered. Her voice grew steadier as her glare grew more intense, "You had no right. _You had no right!_"

"I have every right to know!" Ryou yelled, slamming a fist on the table. Ichigo winced. "And so does the whole kingdom! They all have the right to know that their political system is about to cave in from beneath their feet!"

"It's not like I'm the king! Or even the heir! I'm just the king's pawn!"

"You're an icon to the country!" Ryou interjected with a snarl. "If this country finds out their princess ran off with a demon, there will be chaos! Morals will be questioned! Our standing with the demons will be questioned!"

"Is that such a bad thing?" Ichigo yelled back. "Maybe it's time we actually think about why we're so bitter towards the demons instead of going by some worn-out, age-old principle-"

"You should hear yourself," Ryou hissed, turning his back to Ichigo. "It's common sense, really. It's like questioning why we don't put our hands into fire. You don't, because you'll get hurt."

"But he hasn't hurt me!" Ichigo cried. The words came out of her mouth easily enough, but after they had escaped her lips, she began to question whether they were real or not.

"If he hasn't already, he will!" Ryou yelled back. "Just trust me when I say that I'm telling you this for your own good!"

"It's hard to believe," Ichigo hissed. "I'm not a little kid. I can make my own decisions."

"Apparently, you can't," Ryou retorted, "since you're still putting your hands into the fire. Look, Ichigo- I really do care about you. That's why I'm telling you this. It's because I care."

"Yeah, right. You don't care about me, you care more about your country and your job." Ryou opened his mouth to argue, but Ichigo cut him off, "Don't try and tell me it's not true, because it is! I'm done with you, Ryou."

"No, you're not done," Ryou said, just as Ichigo turned to walk away. Ichigo glanced over her shoulder. "If you walk away now, I'll tell your secret to the king." Ichigo scowled.

"He wouldn't believe you. You don't have any proof!"

Ryou, to Ichigo's horror, pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. He unfolded it for Ichigo to see. It was her letter.

"This will be enough. The king's agents will be able to analyze the handwriting and recognize this letter as yours."

Ichigo's teeth ground together, her fists clenching. Before she could stop herself, she found herself screaming, "Bastard! Why are you doing this to me? Why can't you just leave me alone?" She felt her eyes filling with water. Ryou couldn't look at Ichigo anymore. He cast his eyes to the side and murmured, "It will be for your own good."

"By turning that letter into the king, you'd be making everything worse! He can't find out, or else I might die, just like the princess before me!" Ichigo cried. She fell to her knees and frantically wiped at the trails of water running down her face. It was Ryou's turn to freeze.

"…what?" he asked meekly.

"I'm not the real princess," Ichigo croaked. "The real one disappeared when the king ordered her away. I'm…I'm a fake. If the king finds out what I've done, he might replace me too…" Ichigo let out a shuddering sigh and wrapped her arms around herself. "Please understand…I'm so scared…"

Ryou stood there frozen for several moments before slowly shaking his head.

"I didn't know."

"Almost no…no one knows…" Ichigo murmured. "If the king finds out I told you, I'd be sent away for sure."

Ryou bowed his head.

"But the demon…this demon you, well…that you're involved with," Ryou spoke slowly and deliberately, drawing out every word as though Ichigo was hearing impaired. "You _were _planning to run away?"

Ichigo bit her lip. She had been wondering the same thing herself.

"I'm really not sure if I'd be able to leave," she admitted. Ryou seemed oddly relieved.

"Then don't."

Ichigo realized then that she felt a little strange talking to Ryou about something outside of her lessons and small talk, such as how her father was doing and what her plans were for the week. She wasn't used to being this close to Ryou emotionally. In a way, she felt like she was seeing a side of him she had never known.

"It's just that, whenever I think I've made up my mind to stay here," Ichigo said, "I get the feeling like I'd be missing out. It feels like my life story is out there somewhere. I feel like I need to get out."

"Ichigo, whichever way you look at it, it would never work out," Ryou said. "There is absolutely no way you can leave and still keep the nation at peace."

"So you're saying…I have to sacrifice myself for the nation's happiness? The nation that took me away from my real parents as a child and raised me to be some brainwashed freak?"

"You're not a freak!" Ryou objected. "And the nation isn't the one to blame. I hate to say this…but it was the king's action, not the nation. You have no reason to betray your people."

"They're not my people!" Ichigo argued. She rose off the floor and leaned on the desk with one hand. "They're a people that I'm part of. They're not mine to control! I'm more one of them than I am part of the royal family."

"Whether you're of royal birth or not is irrelevant. You are a princess, whether you choose to accept it or not. You can't just abandon your duties as a princess by walking away from them!"

"What if I do?" Ichigo challenged. "That letter is your trump card. You'll have to kill me to stop me."

"Ichigo, please," Ryou hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't make this my decision."

"I won't…if you hand over that letter," Ichigo reasoned. Her body was unmoving, but her eyes trembled with sheer panic. Ryou looked to Ichigo, then to the letter.

"No," said Ryou. "I'm keeping two options open."

"There's three options, you know," Ichigo murmured. "The third is to throw away that letter and forget this ever happened." Ryou shook his head.

"I couldn't do that. Once you see something, it can't be un-seen."

Ichigo tensed up when she heard Ryou's words. They were her exact words that she was musing over before he had called her.

"Fine. I'll leave it with you then," Ichigo said stiffly. Her façade of confidence was begin to tip. As she turned to leave, she felt Ryou catch her hand. Then he pulled Ichigo into a short, awkward hug.

"Please don't do this to everyone. Don't do this to _me_," he murmured. Ichigo, shocked by Ryou's sudden actions, stood still for the few seconds she was in Ryou's arms before he quickly released her and turned away. Ichigo did the same.

"Goodbye," she whispered on her way out the door.

There was no reply back.

* * *

When Ichigo arrived back in her room, she found a letter waiting on her bedside table. It was enclosed in a long, fancy-looking envelope that Ichigo tore open with the utmost care. As she scanned over the letter, an idea began to form in her head. She knew how she was going to reconnect with Kish. Now all she needed was Kish to visit her again. Hopefully he would come back, and soon…

* * *

{A.N./ Helllloooo fanfiction dot net! Well waddya know, this story isn't dead! What a surprise! I was on vacation for quite a while, so apologies for the (once again) late update. I'm afraid I might not be able to finish this story before I go back to school. It's a beast of a story and should be at least a good 30-some chapters. So there might be quite a bit of a hiatus while I'm at school. Just a heads-up.

Okay, having to do with this chapter- I realize it's probably not my best, by far. It's probably one of my worst. I felt that there was a lot of OOC-ness in here, partially because I'm unfamiliar with writing Ryou's character and I have this warped concept of Ichigo in my head that keeps taking over my writing. So if emo-Ichigo or PMS-Ryou are sticking out too much in this chapter, kindly give me a slap in the face via review. It's much appreciated. =) }


	11. IUSTUM::part 1

It was a warm summer night, and Ichigo was asleep in her bed, half of her blankets tossed off of her body. It was too hot for covers that night. Soundly asleep, she barely caught a rustle of movement, a patting of feet outside her door before her door creaked open, and in stepped a strange man, dressed in the formal clothes of a nobleman. Ichigo did hear him, though, and awoke with a sleepy yawn.

"Hm?" she questioned, opening an eye. "Lettuce, is that you?" The strange man didn't respond, but he did move closer to Ichigo's bed and pull something out of his pocket. Ichigo's eyes, now adjusted to the light, made out the form of someone she didn't know. She panicked, and sunk back farther into her bed sheets.

"W-who are you?" she stuttered, backing against her headboard. The man looked up at her with a demonic glint in his eye and pulled out what Ichigo saw to be a short dagger, glinting in the moonlight. Ichigo gasped and broke out in a cold sweat. Her voice caught in her throat. She found herself unable to scream.

Finally, the man spoke.

"When I first heard about the marriage between the royal princess and the angel prince, I thought it was a joke. But it was all too real…" He stepped closer to Ichigo's bed, threateningly meeting her stare with his own. "The angels are not what they are made out to be. They are disgusting vermin that will infect our country and bleed into our pride. We've remained the neutral country all of these past years, and that has no real reason to change…I don't want our people to die for a less than noble cause…" The man's voce trailed off eerily, almost in madness, as he began creeping up onto Ichigo's bed. Ichigo shook with fear and whimpered, but she couldn't find the strength to scream. She was too scared.

Then, as the man was almost leaning over Ichigo, he raised his dagger and remarked, "Better one to die than half an army. Too bad it has to be you. You really are a pretty young girl…"

Suddenly, the man stole a glance upwards at something above him, and instantly dropped his dagger onto Ichigo's lap. He inched back, his eyes locked in terror at the something above Ichigo's headboard. Ichigo herself turned to look, but she knew what it was when a pair of hands came down and gently felt along the sides her face.

"Damn right she is."

The man was the one shaking now at the sight of seeing what he thought was a decoration come alive. He thought that the image of a praying, winged creature above the headboard was some kind of ornament, but it had looked down upon him with shimmering golden eyes that held a terrifying sharpness, a coldness to them that he could almost feel his soul catch fire.

The creature, looking more and more like some kind of angel due to its human-like appearance and wings, crept down from the headboard and onto the bed next to Ichigo, where he continued to prowl forward towards the man like a big cat. That was when the man realized what exactly the creature was- a demon.

"Who are you," the man demanded in a shaky voice, "and why are you in the princess' room?"

"I should ask the same," hissed the demon, eyeing the man like its prey. "Make it quick, because I'm going to lose my restraint in a few moments, and if that happens, then you will be reduced to nothing but a pile of entrails."

The man took a deep, shuddering breath and said, "Ah, well, my name is Takami, and I'm the secretary of the treasury for this country-"

"Silence," the demon demanded, baring its fangs. "That's all she needs to know to turn you in."

"So you're not going to kill me?" Takami asked, looking slightly more relaxed.

"Is that a request?" the demon murmured. "Because I would gladly send you down to the uttermost depths of hell, where the flesh-eating worms will never die, and the raging fires will never go out. Would you prefer that instead, or would you rather I be merciful, you low-life bastard?"

"Sh-she can t-turn me in," Takami quickly replied. He was now on the floor, backed up against the wall. "But I must know what powerful force has reduced me to this cowardice."

"Ha!" the demon laughed dryly. "You're trying to tattle on Ichigo for having a demon in your room, aren't you? Or maybe you're trying to pin the blame on me? Well I'll have you know that no one will believe you if you tell them that the prince of demons took a visit to the princess' room."

"Y-you're the prince?" Takami cried, eyeing the demon in awe. "You're Prince Kish, the heir to the throne? If I am correct, then you would want to kill the princess as well, to stop our armies from uniting against you! We're both on the same side…right?"

Kish looked at him with narrowed eyes and muttered, "It's more complex than you think." At this, Takami's eyes widened slightly, and he looked from Ichigo, to Kish, and back to Ichigo.

"I get it." he mumbled, his features showing slight, growing humor. "Did the prince of demons fall for the princess of the humans? How touch-"

Takami was caught off guard when the demon-prince lunged onto him, pinning him against the wall and slamming his head against its stone surface.

"_Any last words?" _Kish spat. From the other side of the room came a cry from Ichigo.

"Don't kill him!"

Both heads turned to look at Ichigo, who was sitting up in bed now. Beads of sweat ran down her face, and her eyes stared, scared at the scene playing out before her. "Just let him go."

Kish looked on at Ichigo for a moment, his gaze softening, before looking back to Takami and releasing him from his grip. The murderous man fell to the floor and massaged his neck wearily. "That's what I thought." he muttered, giving Kish a look like he had won. "You follow her orders like a dog to a master."

"Get out," Kish hissed under his breath. "I'm sick of seeing your face."

"As I am of yours," Takami retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up," came the response from the bed- Ichigo. "Shut up, Takami, you…you great ass! Get out of my room!" Kish turned his head to look at Ichigo with wide, proud eyes and smirk at the do-good princess who just used vulgar language. Takami unwillingly obeyed, scurrying out of the room like a rodent, but not before shooting Ichigo a wicked, smug look that made her clutch her covers over herself. Once he was out of the room, Ichigo whimpered and pulled the covers over her head. Kish came over and got up next to her on her bed.

"That was so scary…" Ichigo whispered, slowly peeking out from under the covers. Kish pulled an arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her.

"Come on, Ichigo. No need to be so afraid. I had the whole thing covered." He paused for a moment before saying, "Nice touch with the 'great ass' part."

"Why…why were you on my headboard anyway?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"Well, I guess…ever since that night last week, I haven't been able to sleep so…"

"You've been watching me while I sleep?" Ichigo asked, disgusted. "You're such a pervert!"

"I am not!" Kish retorted. "Because of my sleepless nights sitting up there watching over you, I've just saved you life."

Kish then leaned over Ichigo more, pulling one arm around the other side over her body. "Mm, come to think of it, you should do something to thank me."

"A real knight in shining armor doesn't ask to be paid when he rescues the princess," Ichigo remarked, frowning.

"But I am not the knight of this story, am I, Kitten?" Kish replied, smirking tremendously. "I am the arrogant, selfish prince who can't seem to get a hold on himself."

"That's for sure." Ichigo groaned and turned over in her bed. "I just want to forget this ever happened. Now go away."

"What about my payment?" Kish insisted, moving his hand to the spot on the pillow next to Ichigo's head. "Something small like a kiss on the cheek or a lock of your hair would suffice…"

"Go away, Kish." Ichigo murmured from under her sheets. Kish frowned.

"That's cold, Kitten."

Ichigo suddenly sat up in bed and felt her forehead, "That's right!"

"What's right?" Kish asked as Ichigo swung her legs over the bed and began rummaging through her nightstand. After a few moments of searching, she produced a large, long envelope.

"Found it!" she declared. Pulling out a letter, she read, "'Dear Princess Ichigo, daughter of His Majesty the King, may she live forever;

"You are cordially invited to the Twenty-Third Archland Palace Masquerade Ball. You and whatever friends or family you wish to invite will be treated as honored guests. Date: July 23rd, Time: 9:00

PM..." Ichigo raised her eyes to Kish, who was reading over her shoulder. "Are you free on the 23rd?"

Kish raised his eyebrows and looked to Ichigo in astonishment.

"Is that an invitation? Really?"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." Kish shifted his position on the bed, spreading and retracting his wings to stretch them out a bit.

"No, I'm honored, but why would you want to invite _me_?"

"I was expecting something more arrogant coming from you," Ichigo muttered, keeping her eyes glued to the invitation. "You saved my life, after all. Actually, I was going to invite you anyway…"

"Am I allowed to bring two friends?" Kish asked, his grin spreading by the second.

"Are they as obnoxious as you are?" Ichigo asked spitefully. She still refused to make eye contact with Kish.

"Ha ha," Kish snorted. "No, they're just there as supervisors and witnesses. My guardians wouldn't let me out of the palace without them."

"You'll have to do something about a disguise," Ichigo remarked. Still keeping from Kish's eyes, she lifted a hand to one of his wings and felt along the rubbery surface gingerly. "There's no way your getting in with giant demon wings."

"I suppose I'll have to do something about the ears, too…" Kish murmured. Ichigo, still stroking Kish's wing, nodded slowly.

"That too. Other than that, you should be fine. It's a masquerade ball, so I don't think anyone could recognize you unless they knew what they were looking for." Ichigo paused to think a moment before resuming her absent-minded petting. "You have to dress nicely, too. Wear a suit or something. I don't want to see you showing up in leather or torn-up jeans."

"Yes, mother," Kish replied sarcastically, snickering to himself. "I'll wear something nice."

"One more thing," Ichigo said. "Masaya is going to be there at the ball. Now, I know you don't really care for him-" Kish huffed a sigh. "-but you have to mind your manners around him. Actually, it would be best if you could avoid him completely."

"But he's going to be hanging around you all the time since he's your…" Kish sighed and almost spat out the word, "…_fiancé_." Ichigo rolled her eyes.

"If you put it that way, probably."

"But then I won't be able to spend time around you if _he's_ there!"

"You'll have to deal with it, Kish. There's nothing I can do about it. I don't want you causing trouble or harassing Masaya." Kish looked down at Ichigo and cocked an eyebrow.

"Ichigo?"

"What?"

"You really like petting my wings, don't you?" Ichigo had somehow managed to, without thinking, pull both of Kish's wings towards her so that she was stroking them up and down consecutively, like how a cat would stroke a carpet. She seemed to be quite at ease doing it, too. But when Kish mentioned what she was doing, she stopped, released his wings, and pulled her hands back into a folding position in front of her.

"Um, sorry. Cat instincts." Kish giggled.

"Hey, no problem. It's kinda cute, and it feels nice. Could you do that again?" Ichigo finally made eye contact with Kish. She was all wide-eyed and blushing from embarrassment, her hands pressing down into the bed in front of her. Her cat tail swished around her waist, and her ears drooped down close to her head. Her appearance made Kish's heart leap, and he struggled to stop himself from making a remark or taking action and kissing her right then and now. What came out of her mouth, however, wasn't as cute.

"Kish, you're a moron. Pull an attitude like that and I'll change my mind."

Kish held his hands up in defense and protested, "Hey, you were the one petting me in the first place. I was just offering if you wanted to-"

_Fumph._

Kish was hit in the face with a pillow. It took him a moment to register that Ichigo had hit him. By then, the pillow came back to his face.

_Fumph._

"Hey, quit it!" Kish laughed, grabbing another pillow from the bed.

"This is for making me feel humiliated!" Ichigo squealed, beating Kish with her pillow. Kish laughed and hit Ichigo square in the head with his.

"That was for calling me a moron!"

Ichigo wiped her forehead and grabbed a larger, fluffier pillow, calling, "…and this is for hanging out on my headboard all of these nights!" She lunged to hit Kish, but he disappeared and reappeared in the air above her, brushing against the ceiling.

"No fair!" Ichigo moaned, still grinning from laughter. She looked all around her, trying to see where Kish went. "Teleporting is off limits!"

"Shoulda said that before!" Kish called, diving down to the bed. "Sneak attack!" He dove down to the bed where Ichigo was. Ichigo barely had enough time to look up, give a little shriek, and hold up her pillow as a shield before Kish practically landed on her.

_Riiiip._

A ripping noise stopped them both, and Kish looked to his left to see that one of his wings had ripped open a pillow, scattering white feathers all over the place. Ichigo moaned.

"Great. Look what you did, Kish. Now I have to clean up all the stupid feathers."

"Don't be such a killjoy, Ichigo," Kish teased. "Just live the moment."

"I am not a killjoy! I can have fun, too!" Ichigo scowled. She tried to get up, but found that Kish had managed to straddle her legs with his, and had one hand up near her head. She propped herself up on her elbows and glared Kish in the eyes. "Now get off so I can clean up these feathers."

"Kiss me, Kitten," Kish commanded. Ichigo blinked once, twice, before raising an eyebrow.

"W-what?"

"You said you can have fun. Your about to be eternally bonded to some guy you don't love. Let go, Ichigo. You don't have forever."

"Well who said I love you?" Ichigo protested, a blush creeping up on her face. Kish smirked and licked his lips.

"I didn't. You just did."

"I didn't-"

"Ichigo."

Ichigo looked up at Kish. His face was a calm, smiling one. His eyes were transfixed on her. He looked like he had all he could ever want in the world: a look of utter peace. Ichigo hesitated. After a few moments, she bowed and shook her head.

"No. No, this is wrong in so many ways. You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't come to the ball. I shouldn't even be speaking to you. I…they wouldn't like this at all." She began to get up, forcing Kish to sit back. A determined look on his face, Kish reached his hands forward and rested his palms on the sides of Ichigo's head, right below her ears. He traced his fingers along her neck and forced her to make eye contact.

"Ichigo, what do _you_ want?"

Ichigo opened and closed her mouth, as though she was trying to say something, but she swallowed her words quickly. She opened her mouth slightly, looked into Kish's searching eyes, and murmured, "I…I want…"

Kish waited patiently, his eyes fixed on Ichigo's face. Finally, after about half a minute, Ichigo cast her eyes downward and murmured, "I…I want it so that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. We're all…people. I want it so that all of the races can coexist. The idea that we're all separate because of our looks is stupid. We all think the same way, act the same way, speak the same language…" She paused, looking into Kish's eyes. "I want…"

She slowly leant forward close to his face so their foreheads touched. Kish was breathing fast in exhilaration of having Ichigo so close. Ichigo could feel his warm breath on her face. She smiled weakly, closed her eyes, and whispered hoarsely, "I want it to be so I don't have to feel guilty when I get so close that I can smell your bad breath. You wreak of tuna."

Kish smirked. "Heh, sorry about that." Ichigo smiled.

"Where was I…?"

"You feel guilty when you smell my tuna breath," Kish replied, his smirk growing into a wide smile.

"Right," Ichigo giggled. "…and, in that perfect world, it will be okay to do this." Ichigo leaned forward slightly, shut her eyes, and gently pressed her lips against Kish's. Just for that brief second. Then she quickly pulled away, her eyes fixed on the hem of her summer nightgown, which she fidgeted with to remove her jitters. Kish sat dumbfounded for a moment before his look of shock turned into one of ecstasy.

"Did you just kiss me, Kitty?"

"W-well what do you think I did?" Ichigo shot back, trying not to look at Kish. Her efforts were soon found futile, however, when Kish tackled her onto the bed in an embrace.

"I knew you liked me! I knew it! I knew it all along!"

"I…I never said I liked you!" Ichigo spat back, pushing on Kish's shoulders to pry him away from her body.

"But you wouldn't have kissed me if you didn't like me!" Kish insisted. His face showed utter happiness as he continued, "Can I kiss you, too?"

"N-no!" Ichigo squealed, shaking her head. "I'm already in too deep as it is! I don't want this to hurt me later!"

"Afraid of heartbreak?" Kish asked sympathetically, his gaze softening. "Hm…I see your point. I promise I'll make it quick, okay?" Ichigo shot him a suspicious glare.

"Really quick?"

"Yeah. Like, under five seconds. I swear, if I don't kiss you right now I'm going to explode."

"How does that work?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just trust me," Kish replied. He smiled, "Pleeease?" Ichigo sighed.

"Fi-" She didn't even get a chance to finish her "Fine" before Kish had pushed her against the bed and locked his lips onto hers. Still staying in his five seconds, he ran his tongue in the insides of her mouth, packing as much passion into the kiss as was possible in five seconds. Finally, when Ichigo was just about to call him off, he broke free suddenly, still leaning over Ichigo. Ichigo looked at him, transfixed, while she caught her breath. Kish did the same…at least, until a grin spread across his face and he started to laugh. Ichigo sat up at Kish sat back, clutching his stomach.

"W-what's so funny?" Ichigo stuttered. Kish choked on his words laughing as he wiped his face.

"I-I kissed you! And you didn't fight back!"

"What?" Ichigo snapped. Kish let out a long, hard sigh and slumped back onto the bed. His legs were stretched out at odd angles. His arms were behind his head and he was grinning like an idiot.

"Ichigo, Ichigo…" Kish let out a few extra chuckles. "You're so pretty. It's almost hard to believe someone like you exists." Ichigo put a pause to her stubborn act to listen. "I've courted quite a few girls, but none have ever come close to your beauty, your attitude, your smile…everything about you is just…perfect." He let out a dreamy sigh.

"Well, I'm _not_ perfect," Ichigo protested. "I'm a total klutz. I don't think before I speak. I have a short attention span and-"

"Ichigo, you're perfect." Kish looked at Ichigo, eyes half closed, and smiled. He then shut his eyes and sighed long and hard (again).

"Ah, wait a second!" Ichigo squeaked, nudging the closest part of Kish near to her, his foot. "You can't fall asleep on my bed!" Kish sat up groggily, yawned, and licked his lips.

"I s'pose you're right, Kitten," he moaned, ruffling his hair with one hand. "Although it'd be nice to sleep here sometime."

"Out," Ichigo commanded sternly. "You've already pushed me out of my comfort zone enough today, so you can go home now."

"Oh, you mean like when I kiss-"

"Do you _want _to go to that ball with me?"

"Alright, I'm leaving, I'm leaving." Kish sat up, stretched his arms, yawned, and spread his wings their full twenty feet.

"Show off," Ichigo muttered. "Hurry up."

"Show off what?" Kish asked, smothering his yawn. "You mean my wings? You find them impressive?"

"Well, yeah. It's just weird that they're so much bigger than a lot of the angel wings I've seen. I know that wings are a representation of physical strength, but do demon wings tend grow bigger? Yours are way bigger than Masaya's…"

"Nope," Kish said with a smug grin. "They grow at about the same rates. This is all natural strength here, no lie. I'm just stronger than your angel sissy boy." Ichigo rolled her eyes, then followed with a question.

"But when you two dueled over me the first time we met, he managed to beat you down. How come?"

"Easy. I was distracted. Just because I'm stronger doesn't mean that I have a better attention span. I was beating him back when I struck actual blows to him."

"That's true…" Ichigo murmured, trying to remember the occasion. "I was actually worried back there that you were going to kill him."

"Yeah, then you went and diverted my attention," Kish said, smirking over at Ichigo. Ichigo scowled and huffed a sigh.

"Right. You mean you were shamelessly flirting with me in front of Masaya to make him jealous."

"Ah, right, that was our first kiss, wasn't it?" Kish remarked. "Such strange circumstances, no?"

"I'm never going to forgive you for that, Kish," Ichigo growled. "Did you know that was my first kiss you stole there?" Kish sat upright, looking at Ichigo in surprise.

"First-first? Like, first ever first?"

"First ever first," Ichigo confirmed.

Kish grinned and began to laugh again. Ichigo groaned.

"Jesus! I'm just really screwing up your life, aren't I?" Kish choked out between laughing spasms.

"Yes," Ichigo replied dryly, trying not to laugh. "Yes, you are. Now stop stalling and get out."

"Can I have another kiss, first?"

"No. Out."

"That was cold."

"I don't care what you think it was. Out." Kish sighed…again. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, reaching his arms high in the air to stretch…again.

"Kish, you're stalling."

"Am not!"

"Am too. Now you're arguing, so you're stalling." Kish put on a pouting face for Ichigo, who rolled her eyes and glared at him.

"Can I at least help you clean up the feathers?"

"I'll get them, thank you very much. Now go already."

"Alright," Kish moaned. "Bye, Ichigo."

"Goodbye, Kish," Ichigo replied. And with that, Kish disappeared. Ichigo relaxed her tense posture and fell back into…

…the waiting arms of Kish. Before she could shriek or gasp or even flinch, Kish leant forward and quickly kissed her lips while she was lying in his arms- upside-down. He pulled back and winked, saying, "I just needed one more." Then he disappeared for real.

Ichigo then slumped back into her messed-up pillows, breathing heavily. She turned over on her stomach, clutched a pillow, and screamed into it.

"Why does it have to be love, and, for God's sake, why does it have to be _him_?"

Meanwhile, Kish entered his room through his window, checked to make sure no one was around, and started to laugh once more. He laughed so hard and so exuberantly that he could've screamed. He spun in circles a few times before landing on his bed.

"This is so love, and thank god it's _her_!"

* * *

{**A.N./** I hope I'm right when I say this: this story needed a good fluff chapter. There had been a lot of moody drama before this chapter, and it seemed like it was lacking sugar. Hopefully I didn't make anybody gag. xD The plotline is about to pick up...this ball is gonna be a pretty big turning point. I'm not giving away anything away past that. :) Reviews are sunshine to my day~!}


	12. IUSTUM::part 2

The ballroom was brightly lit with dozens of huge hanging chandeliers, all of them with glass shards hanging off of them for an elegant appearance. The walls around the vast room were decked with ribbons, bows, and banners of all kinds to make a color scheme of salmon pink and shining gold. Marble floors and a mass of guests made the room roar with noise of people talking and feet stepping in elegant dances. Off to the side of all the action, lingering next to the tables spread out for small snacks, were Kish and his posse. They easily blended into the scenery thanks to some help from the magician Voit, who shrunk Kish's wings and turned all three of the boys' wings into angel ones.

Kish was dressed in a basic black-and-white suit, a personal touch being the crystal red cufflinks he wore, shaped like crosses. His mask was also very basic: a simple, white mask with a black border. It covered the whole upper half of his face, and stretching over half of his nose.

Kish's accompanies were both dressed in regular black suits similar to Kish's. The smaller of them had chosen to wear a black hat over his tousled brown hair. He was wearing a red mask that pointed at the tips with gold embroidery swirled in and around. The oldest of the posse was wearing a purple, wide-brimmed hat that stretched far out and around his head. A white ribbon was tied in it, attaching at the back in a knot and a long, white feather. He was wearing a pointed mask like the smallest of them, but his was a white with a blue checkerboard design all across the middle.

All in all, they looked like the mildly suspicious group that blended in without much effort.

Kish scowled, glanced at the grand clock on one end of the room, sighed, and scowled again.

"Calm down, Kish," the smallest group member piped up. "The old hag is probably still putting on her billionth layer of face powder or something. Girls take a lot of time to put on makeup and stuff." Kish sighed, nodded, and crossed his legs, leaning up against the wall.

"I guess you're right, Tart."

"It is only five minutes past," remarked the older of the group. The smallest, Tart, nodded his head in agreement.

"Pie's right. Cool it." Kish moaned and massaged his face wearily. He felt a finger tap his shoulder. Looking up, he found himself looking into the hazel eyes of a pretty young girl wearing a fluffy, blue dress with her brown hair up in a curled ponytail.

"Excuse me, sir, but may I have this dance?" she asked, curtsying. Kish smiled, took her hand, and gave it a little kiss.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss, but I'm waiting for someone special right now. Once again, I'm very sorry." The girl blushed, smiled, and shook her head.

"Oh, no, it's fine. May I dance with your friend, then? The one with the purple hat?" Kish dropped the girl's hand and looked to Pie.

"Pie?" he asked with a smile. "Would you care to dance with this lovely lady?" Pie eyed Kish, then the girl, then Kish. Solemnly he straightened up, took the girl's hand, and gave her one of his rare smiles.

"What is your name, miss?" As he led the girl out onto the dance floor, Kish nudged Tart and snickered.

"Way to go!" Tart cheered Kish. They watched as Pie awkwardly began to dance with the girl, who seemed quite content to have her toes stepped on as long as she could stare at Pie.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was currently tip-tapping her way to the ballroom in her red, obnoxiously tall high heels. The ruffled skirt of her red dress swayed this way and that with her hair, which was done up in a fancy-looking ponytail that draped over one shoulder. Her white sash with a huge bow in the back hugged her waist tight, and she found it rather hard to get a good, deep gasp of air. Her sleeves hung off of her arms in ruffled layers, ending at her elbows. The collar of the dress had red rubies all along the edge, the scoop-neck style extending from the very tip of one shoulder to the other. Dozens of brass buttons ran up the middle of the front of her dress, pulling the whole thing together and practically sealing the dress on the very skin of her body. It was a tight dress, and she didn't like it. She scowled through her white mask. The mask had red lace running all along the edge of it, and the middle was pink around the eyeholes.

"A-are you sure you're okay, Miss Ichigo?" cried Ichigo's friend, trying to keep up with Ichigo's pace.

"I'll be fine, Lettuce," Ichigo assured her friend, smiling reassuringly. "I just wish this dress didn't make it impossible to breathe."

"Oh, but you look beautiful!" Lettuce murmured. She herself was dressed in a simple white gown with a blue ribbon sash around the middle. Her mask was a sea blue with white and aqua ribbons spilling out from both sides. Her mask, as it would seem, pulled her outfit together. The colors complimented her long, grass-green hair that she wore in waves down her back.

"That's what everyone says," Ichigo muttered, casting a glance to the side. "They all just say that to make me feel better."

"But you DO look beautiful!" Lettuce insisted. "We all just want to help, that's all! You look like a princess!"

"That's because I AM a princess," Ichigo groaned.

"Oh," Lettuce whispered. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to, you know…offend you or anything."

"You apologize too much, Lettuce," Ichigo commented. She smiled at Lettuce, who, in turn, gave her a nervous smile back.

The pair soon reached a grand staircase at the front of the ballroom. Before they stepped into sight, they were told by the chaperones to wait, and that the prince was just arriving. Ichigo sighed and fidgeted with her cat tail, which had a big, white bow tied at the end of it to match the one on her waist. She was beginning to get used to the tail, and it quickly became her new fidgeting toy.

"Here he comes!" called one of the chaperones. "I have strict orders from the supervisors that you are to walk arm in arm with the prince down the stairs, where you are free to visit and chat and whatnot. However, you are forbidden to venture outside the ballroom without supervision. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now straighten your back, Your Highness. He's here."

Ichigo did as she was told, scowling at the idea of haughty chaperones telling her- the princess- what she was to do. Even though she was royalty, she was being treated like the little pawn…again. The chaperones came from the highest court of the king, so they had a "mightier-than-you" aura to them that made Ichigo angry. She wished so badly that she had power enough to order them to jump in a lake.

Ichigo straightened up as she heard feet approaching. From around the corner came Prince Masaya in a blue suit with white trousers. He was wearing a blue top hat, his hair slicked back against his head. His white shoes clicked as the metal heels hit the floor underneath them. His mask was a blue to match his suit. It had a white striped border around it, making it a perfect addition to his attire.

"Ready?" he asked Ichigo, taking her arm in his.

"If you are," Ichigo replied warily, eyeing the staircase. "I'm going to trip, I know it."

"I'll try to catch you if you do, okay?" Masaya replied with a homely smile. He began to lead Ichigo around the corner.

"Okay," Ichigo whispered meekly. Once they came into full view, the band started up with a violin piece, and the pair began to descend the stairs. Ichigo tried her hardest to keep her balance and support her skirt so that she wouldn't trip. Masaya looked straight forward, smiling and waving in a prince-like manner to the people below.

From the ballroom, everyone seemed to turn and look at the descending couple.

"Hey, I think she's coming!" Tart said, nudging Kish's side. Kish turned and saw the two descending the stairs. To him, Masaya wasn't much to see in his "dorky" blue suit, but Ichigo… His heart turned a flip-flop just looking at her. He tugged on his collar and gave a low whistle. Tart was right, though. She _was _wearing a lot of makeup.

"I'm going crowd swimming. You can stay here if you'd like," Kish said, tossing an apple he was eating behind him and missing the wastebasket by a couple feet.

"I'd rather stay," Tart said, biting into a dainty-looking tuna sandwich. "Good luck, Romeo."

"Thanks," Kish replied. With that, he moved like a liquid through the crowd, muttering many a "sorry" and "excuse me, sir". Tart took another bite of sandwich and looked on with amusement.

* * *

Ichigo and Masaya had just got to the bottom of the stairs. Ichigo let out a sigh of relief. "I didn't trip." Masaya chuckled and nodded.

"I knew you could do it."

"Thank you," Ichigo replied.

"I'm going to have a word with one of the guards, if you don't mind," Masaya said. "I apologize for the inconvenience. Feel free to wander."

"Thank you," Ichigo said. With that, she moved along the side of the room, keeping a light pace as she scanned the crowd. They had all gone back to their talking or dancing. No one seemed to be paying much attention to her as she picked through them, looking for a familiar face.

_God, I hope Kish didn't do anything stupid like forget to change his wings or show up looking like an idiot._ Ichigo thought anxiously. _I wonder if he showed up at all…?_

The thought quickly flew out of her mind when she thought about it harder, though. He wouldn't miss this for his life, she concluded. That made her look even harder.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She didn't really feel it, though, until a voice followed, "May I have this dance?" She turned to see an angel behind her, bowing low in front of her. Ichigo turned to leave.

"I'm sorry, but-"

"Psst, Ichigo," the angel whispered, lifting his eyes, "It's me." Ichigo took a second glance at the angel, only to discover that it wasn't really an angel. It was Kish, who stood up at full height.

"Am I that easily disguised?" he asked innocently, cocking his head. Ichigo, who was feeling quite embarrassed about not recognizing him, nodded.

"Yeah…" she murmured in sort of a daze. "You look handsome."

"Why, thank you!" Kish burst out, grinning and taking Ichigo's hand. "You're looking very beautiful yourself- as always, fair maiden." He gave Ichigo's hand a gentle kiss.

"Don't get carried away," Ichigo hissed, pulling back her hand. "Your angel act is kinda fishy. Someone's going to get suspicious."

"Lighten up!" Kish teased in a whisper, picking up Ichigo's hand once more. He raised his voice as he said, "Come on, let's dance."

"Do you know how to dance?" Ichigo asked as she allowed herself to be lead into the main part of the ballroom.

"Enough so that I don't have to look ridiculous," Kish answered. He bowed to Ichigo while she curtsied to him. Then Kish put an arm around Ichigo's waist while Ichigo put a hand on Kish's shoulder. They took hold of each other's spare hands and began to dance.

_Step, step-step, step-step, twirl…step, step-step, step-step, twirl…_

Ichigo repeated the pattern in her head as she followed it. Kish was keeping up with the rhythm better than she expected him to, so she was secretly pleased. In reality, Kish was actually pleased with himself that he was having such a lucky streak and was doing much better than he usually would. So, then, both dancers were retaining a pleasant mood.

"Kish?"

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

Ichigo hesitated to answer as she regarded his address, but continued speaking as she realized that slapping Kish in this setting would cause a scene.

"Where are your two friends…or, bodyguards…?"

"One found a pretty girl to dance with, and one is hanging back by the snacks. Would you care to meet them?" Ichigo shook her head.

"No, I was just wondering. …how did you get your wings to do that?"

"Palace magician. He's a crazy old hoot, but he can do really cool stuff when you can get him to make sense for you," Kish said, winking. Ichigo giggled.

"That sounds interesting. Did you pick out your outfit?"

"Well what did you think," Kish mocked, "my mom dressed me? Nah, I put it together. Like it?"

"Could use more color," Ichigo said critically, eyeing Kish's suit.

"Aw, really?" Kish muttered, "I was kind of aiming for the black-and-white look, but I guess the majority of the people here are all peacock feathers, blue suits, and big sleeves. I should've picked something more colorful…"

"N-no, actually," Ichigo scrambled to say, "you look nice in that. I don't think you would look right in peacock feathers and a blue suit."

Kish chuckled, locked eyes with Ichigo, and said, "I think you're right. I don't think I could do a blue suit without looking dorky. Come to think of it, your little fiancé looks pretty stupid himself." He jerked his head in Masaya's direction over on the other side of the ballroom.

"Kish!" Ichigo hissed. "What'd I tell you about Masaya?"

"What?" Kish protested. "It's not like he's around here to hear it. Besides, I'm only speaking the truth." Ichigo sighed. The pace of the song slowed down, and the couples were left to slowly stepping around each others feet. It was a rest from real dancing. Ichigo took the resting opportunity, laying her weary head on Kish's chest. Kish smiled down at her and kissed her hair affectionately. He inhaled her perfume, smelling the strong scent of lilacs.

"My feet are killing me," Ichigo groaned into Kish's coat.

Kish rested his chin on Ichigo's head and asked, "Well then why did you wear those shoes?"

"It wasn't my choice. I don't pick what I wear," Ichigo replied. "This dress was picked for me, too. I can't breathe properly in it."

"You look gorgeous," Kish whispered.

"Everyone says that," Ichigo replied, leaning her head to the side on Kish's chest. Her ear pressed to him, she could hear Kish's heartbeat, but it made her hesitate in her dancing before starting again.

"Kish…?" she asked.

"Mm?"

"Is that your heartbeat? It's really heavy, and it's going really fast…"

"Our hearts pump blood much faster than yours do," Kish said. "That's why it's so crucial to fix a wound immediately if we're bleeding. We could easily die of blood loss because it circulates through our bodies so quickly."

"That's strange…" Ichigo murmured.

"Well I think it's weird how your heart is so slow," Kish argued. "It's so much lighter than ours, too. Our heartbeats are more heavy-sounding than a human one. I can feel yours right now. It feels…" he paused, listened, and exhaled softly, "…like a little butterfly, or a bird…it feels so soft and delicate."

Ichigo let out a tiny gasp as she looked to her side. She then gripped Kish's hand tighter and whispered, "I've got to go. Masaya's coming."

"Let him come," Kish persisted, pulling Ichigo closer in towards him. "Just let me spend these last few seconds with you here. I don't want you to leave."

Ichigo sighed and murmured, "Truthfully, I don't want me to leave either."

"It makes me happy to hear that," Kish whispered in her ear. "Here comes the bastard, so don't forget about me, okay?"

"Kish!" Ichigo hissed.

Kish reluctantly broke away from Ichigo and retreated to the crowd behind him. He frowned as he watched Masaya take Ichigo's hand. Something burned deep inside him that sent smoke to his head and clouded his head with malice. Clenching his teeth, he forced his gaze away from the couple and mechanically walked back to the table where Tart was waiting.

Kish fought the urge to look back at the couple while he was still filled with mixed sadness and hate. Somewhere in his mind he told himself that he would not leave the ball while Ichigo was still attached to the angel prince. He was going to get in between them for good, even if it meant blowing his cover. He wasn't afraid of a rematch with Masaya. Actually, he welcomed the idea. He could prove to the rival prince who was really worthy of the delicate prize- Ichigo.

Kish smirked to himself, forgetting about his promise to Ichigo about stirring up trouble. Masaya was going down.

* * *

{{**A.N./** Whew! Another chapter out already! I've been writing and editing like a maniac this past week! Of course, I have to if I'm gonna reach a climax before I head back to school! I've only got three more weeks! This is part one of the ballroom chapters, and the second part should be coming out very, very soon. It's the more exciting of the two, this being more like the intro. Stay tuned! :) Oh, and guess what? I wrote a little poem about reviews!

"Roses are red

Violets are blue

It makes me happy

When you review!" :D

I'm really excited right now because, as of this moment, this story has 67 reviews, passing The Last Left Standing in review count! And this story is half its size! Thank you so much for all your reviews, guys! Each one means a lot to me! Oh, and I almost forgot! **Iustum = "What is right**".}}


	13. IUSTUM::part 3

Ichigo let out a tiny gasp as she looked to her side. She then gripped Kish's hand tighter and whispered, "I've got to go. Masaya's coming."

"Let him come," Kish persisted, pulling Ichigo closer in towards him. "Just let me spend these last few seconds with you here. I don't want you to leave."

Ichigo sighed and murmured, "Truthfully, I don't want me to leave either."

"It makes me happy to hear that," Kish whispered in her ear. "Here comes the bastard, so don't forget about me, okay?"

"Kish!" Ichigo hissed before she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Ichigo?" Ichigo reluctantly let go of Kish and turned around to meet Masaya's smile with a fake one of her own.

"Good to see you again, Masaya!" Ichigo greeted, curtsying.

Masaya smiled, saying, "The same for you, Ichigo. I apologize for my leaving you." He bowed to her and asked, "May I have this dance?"

"Of-" Ichigo hesitated, just for a moment, her hand suspended over his. "Of course."

She took his outstretched hand and mimicked the same position she and Kish had been in moments before.

_Speaking of Kish, he disappeared, _Ichigo thought. _I wonder where he went…?_

They slowly began to dance. This time, Ichigo didn't lean her head on Masaya's chest like she had done with Kish. With Masaya, it seemed too awkward. Their relationship was so planned out and well-behaved that "romantic things" like that seemed too strange for them. And, besides, Masaya was just an inch or two taller than Ichigo was. Kish was a head taller than she, so the position seemed more natural to her.

_It's a shame, _she thought_. Although I'd never have the courage say it, it felt so good to be there, laying up against him, hearing his galloping heartbeat…_

"So, Ichigo," Masaya said, "who was that young man back there?"

"Ah, well, he's a good friend of mine," Ichigo stuttered, smiling nervously. "I've known him for a few months now. He drops by the palace every once in a while to visit and to check up on business."

"I didn't know any other parties of angels visited," Masaya said.

"There aren't many, but there are some other than you," Ichigo lied.

"I was just a bit nervous because he seemed to be getting a little close. You looked uncomfortable by the time I saw you."

_Uncomfortable because I saw you were coming. _Ichigo thought spitefully. _I'm beginning to sound like Kish._

"We're just good friends," Ichigo said, laughing. "He's very sweet, but he can get obnoxious sometimes." Masaya chuckled.

"I see. I was just worried, that's all."

"No, it's fine. Thank you for your concern."

Meanwhile, Kish was back over in his brooding corner next to the concessions.

"That went well," he told Tart, sighing deeply. "Prince Sissy Blue-Suit came in and ruined the moment, though, so I guess it was kind of bittersweet." He sighed deeply again. Tart eyed him and picked up another sandwich.

"You're sighing a lot."

"I am?"

"Yeah. It's a sign that you're spacing out." Tart took another bite of sandwich, swallowed, and continued, "She's softening you up, you know. All you've been doing since you danced with her is staring at her with this half-awake look on your face and sighing. She must've drugged you with her perfume or something."

"It smelt like lilacs," Kish murmured dreamily. He leaned against the wall, slid down it slowly, and came to rest cross-legged on the floor. Then he sighed deeply…again. Tart rolled his eyes and groaned.

"You'd better snap out of this by the time we get back, okay?" No response. "Kish?" Still no response. "Hey, Kish?"

Tart looked down to Kish, who had his head propped up on his hand. He was back to staring at Ichigo, a smile playing on his lips. His eyes flicked back and forth as the music picked up and Ichigo began to move faster with it, lifting and whirling her skirts around as she and Masaya danced.

"She's so beautiful…" Kish murmured dreamily. Tart groaned loudly and kicked Kish with the side of his foot.

"Pull yourself together!" he ordered Kish. "She's just a girl!"

"Yeah, but she's Princess Ichigo…" Kish whispered airily. Tart was about to make some rude comeback, but he was stopped when he felt a tug on his hair from the back.

"So you're the one who's been eating all the tuna sandwiches, na no da!" came the high-pitched voice from behind him. Tart turned to see a girl about his age standing there and looking him over curiously. Her bright, brown eyes showed through her gold-colored mask, and contrasted to her yellow hair and glittering, puffy-looking dress that came to her knees in white and yellow layers.

"My name's Pudding, na no da!" the girl said, beaming with pleasure. "What's wrong with your friend over there, na no da?"

Tart, playing along with the strange little girl, hesitantly said, "Well, he got to dance with the princess, and now all he's been doing is sighing and staring at her like a drunken fool."

Pudding giggled. "Princess Ichigo is looking really pretty tonight, na no da! I'm one of her personal attendants, na no da."

"Really?" asked Tart, beginning to gain curiosity. Kish leaned over to listen in on the conversation.

"Really really, na no da! Me and that girl in the green hair over there are her closest attendants and best friends na no da!" Pudding indicated to Lettuce. What really caught Tart by surprise, though, was that she was dancing with none other than a happy-looking Pie. They looked like quite the couple, dancing hand in hand on the marble floor.

"That's my best friend she's dancing with," Tart said, poking a finger to Pie. "He's with me and Mr. Sighs-a-lot here. Oh, by the way, my name's Tart." Pudding smiled and took Tart's outstretched hand, giving it an over-exuberant shake.

"Nice to meet you, na no da! You have a funny name too, na no da!" She hesitated, then beckoned Tart closer with a suspicious look on her face. Tart raised an eyebrow and leaned his ear a little closer as Pudding whispered, "Don't tell anyone, but Pudding heard that Prince Kish is supposed to be here, na no da. You both have a funny food name, so would you know him, na no da?" Tart shot back in surprise.

"He's supposed to be here? Where'd you hear that from?"

"Well, Princess Ichigo, na no da," Pudding admitted. "And you have a food name as well as Prince Kish, na no da, so Pudding thought that maybe you'd heard of whether or not he's here, na no da."

"Well even if I did know him, I wouldn't tell you, would I?" Tart replied with an annoyed tone. "You're not very good at finding out information." Pudding scowled.

"I am too, na no da! Pudding is the palace's greatest detective, na no da! I learn about all sorts of things that go on inside the palace, na no da!"

"Well you're not doing a very good job of interrogation."

"Well you're not doing a very good job of being polite to a lady, na no da!" Pudding argued, folding her arms crossly. She glared back at Tart for a moment before narrowing her eyes.

"Wait a second, na no da…"

Tart's eyes widened and he looked himself up and down, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

"What?" Tart said in a slight panic.

"I knew it, na no da!" Tart's forehead began to sweat as he straightened up and swallowed a lump in his throat. Pudding pointed a finger at Tart and declared, "No angel has fangs that stick over his lip, na no da!"

"Shhh!" Tart shushed the girl, "Quiet down!" Pudding grinned.

"Pudding knew it all along, na no da!"

Tart looked to Kish, who looked back at him with a wide-eyed look. Kish quickly felt along his teeth and found that, to his horror, Pudding was right. They'd forgotten to change their fangs. Tart looked to Ichigo and twitched his head in Pudding's direction. He mouthed the words "Tell her?" Kish rolled his eyes and mouthed "Whatever," before he continued to watch Ichigo. Tart turned back to Pudding and whispered, "Promise not to tell that we're not angels if I you another secret?" Pudding, eyes wide, nodded enthusiastically.

"Mr. Sighs-a-lot is Prince Kish. I'm his attendant. Don't tell, okay?" Pudding gasped and dashed over to Kish. She stared into his face and gasped again.

"Ichigo's right, na no da! You _do _look like a pretty boy, na no da!" Kish groaned. Pudding giggled.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it, na no da! Ichigo likes you just the way you are, na no da!"

Kish, seeing this as an opportunity to feed on information, sat down at Pudding's level and asked, "What else does she say about me?"

"Tricky, tricky!" Pudding said, wagging a finger at Kish. "You just want Pudding to say nice things about you, na no da!" Kish blinked, wondering how the kid could read him so well. Pudding giggled. "Well, I'll tell you anyway, na no da. Let's see, na no da…Ichigo's always talking about how when you come to visit, na no da, you always say something that makes her feel all fluttery, na no da, like telling her she's pretty or saying that stuff she does is cute, na no da."

"I didn't know she liked it when I said that stuff," Kish remarked. "She always seems annoyed when I compliment her."

"Don't listen to her, na no da!" Pudding said with a grin. "She told me that she just acts upset, na no da, 'cause she doesn't want you to know she likes you, na no da. She thinks that she's got to act mad all the time so that you'll give up on her, na no da, and then she'll just have Masaya to worry about, na no da."

"But she's never going to be happy with Masaya!" Kish persisted.

"Exactly what I've been trying to tell her, na no da!" Pudding cried. "He's such a bore to her, na no da! She deserves much better, na no da!"

Pudding grabbed a bewildered Kish's hands and looked straight into his eyes with a determined look on her face. "Now you listen here, na no da! Get that girl to wake up, na no da! I know you love her, na no da, more than Masaya ever could, na no da! I've heard about the stuff you do for her, na no da, and I'm sure that Ichigo loves you too, na no da! She needs to get a serious slap in the face, na no da, 'cause she really thinks that she doesn't have a choice, na no da! She thinks that she HAS to marry Masaya, na no da, and that's that, na no da!"

Kish almost forgot that he was arguing with a little child as he moaned, "But she won't listen to me! She keeps saying that 'they wouldn't approve' and stuff like that, like the government's got her on strings like a little marionette!"

"Well you just knock some sense into her, na no da!" Pudding commanded, slamming her fist into her palm. "I don't care what you gotta do, na no da! Kiss her, na no da, kidnap her, na no da, have little kitty-demon babies with her for all I care, na no da! Just get her to realize that there's a guy out there who would do ANYTHING to protect her and ensure her freedom, na no da!" Tart, who started to get a weird look on his face after the mention of "kitty-demon babies", had his ears glued to the conversation, wondering what Kish would do next. Kish smiled broadly and shook Pudding's hand.

"Thanks, Pudding," he said. "It's good to know that at least someone in this world is backing me up on this."

"Trust me, na no da," Pudding said with a smile, "Deep down, na no da, Ichigo wishes you could run in right now and sweep her off her feet, na no da. I mean, look at her, na no da! She looks totally bored out of her mind, na no da!" Kish stole a glance upward at Ichigo, whose twirling skirt was vivid in the sea of people. Her face showed once of a fake, weary smile stretched too long and hard. Kish scowled.

"Damn that Masaya. He should know Ichigo better by now. That smile is about the most fake one I've seen on her yet."

"Well go get her!" Tart called from off to the side. Both Kish and Pudding turned their heads to look at Tart, who looked sort of irritated at that moment. "Quit whining about how miserable about how she looks and go make her happy, Kish!" Kish's face spread into a grin as he gave Tart a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Tart. You're awesome."

Tart smiled and waved as Kish swept off into the crowd. Pudding looked back at Tart, smiled, and chirped, "Pudding's gotta tell Ichigo some juicy stuff to make up for spilling her secret to you guys, na no da. What does Kish say about Ichigo when she's not there, na no da?" Tart rolled his eyes.

"Uh boy. Where do I start…"

Ichigo and Masaya whirled across the dance floor as the music picked up. They hadn't taken a break yet, and Ichigo was getting very fatigued. Masaya seemed to have no intention of stopping, and Ichigo didn't want to ruin his fun by making him stop. So she kept going, plastering that smile on her face.

_My legs…_ she thought in anguish. _They hurt all over…_

Suddenly, she felt a tap from behind. She stopped dancing with Masaya for a moment to turn, and was relieved to see Kish there, holding out his hand.

"Prince Masaya, would you mind if I took a turn dancing with the dear Princess?"

"Of course not, sir," Masaya replied, smiling. He released Ichigo's hand, bowed to her, and fell back into the crowd. Ichigo turned to Kish, took his hand, and started to dance the same pace again.

"Hold on, Kitty," Kish whispered in her ear. "You're really tired. Stand on my feet."

"W-what?" Ichigo asked, confused to no measure.

"Just do it. I'll dance for you," Kish said. Ichigo stepped on his feet, and Kish began to dance. The music had begun to slow, lucky for Kish. He was doing all of the work, yet you couldn't tell that Ichigo wasn't dancing unless you looked at their feet. "Oh," Kish added, eyeing Ichigo's face, "you don't have to smile anymore. I know it's not real. It must be tiring, smiling all the time like that…" Ichigo relaxed her face in a sigh and leaned against Kish's chest again.

"Thank goodness you rescued me," she muttered. "I thought my feet were going to fall off."

"You looked like it, too," Kish remarked. "I saw the look on your face and got right up to come over here. Everlasting dances are no fun, especially in high heels."

"Five inch high heels," Ichigo added with a groan.

"I'm glad I'm not a girl," Kish snickered.

"It's a princess you've got to be thankful for not being," Ichigo corrected. "I don't really own anything for myself. I don't really own myself. The government owns me, pretty much. Anything they say, goes. That's why I have to marry Masaya. I'm just their pretty little doll that they marry off to fetch them an army." Ichigo swallowed a lump of air in her throat and sniffed. "It doesn't matter if my feet are killing me. As long as I look pretty and impress people, it doesn't matter to them…"

Kish petted the back of her head and whispered in her ear, "Hush, sweetheart. Shh… You know, I can take it all away. All you have to do is come with me back to the palace. I can fix you a nice place to stay for you and your family…"

"No," Ichigo said bluntly, sniffing back tears. "No, I can't do it. That's selfish thinking. A country comes before the happiness of one little girl. I'll be fine, as long as my country prospers…I'll do what's right…"

"But how do you know what you're doing is right?" Kish argued, stroking her hair. He tickled behind one of Ichigo's cat ears. Ichigo began to purr, burying her face in Kish's chest.

"Kish, don't do that," she moaned. "You're only making it harder for me to let you go."

"Who says you have to let me go?" Kish argued in his teasing voice, his tone barely above a whisper. "Who says that I'm not going to come right back to you, even when you push me away, Kitten?"

"Because, if you knew how much you make me hurt, then you would leave me alone," Ichigo whimpered. "Every time you make me feel happy, make me laugh, make me cry…every time you hold me, kiss me, hug me…the heartbreak comes. There's always a little voice inside me, telling me that it's all going away soon. It is."

"Ichigo, I-"

"Kish, I'm marrying someone else!" Ichigo cried. She tried to stop the tears from coming down, but she only ended up smudging her makeup onto her hands. "It won't work! It's not going to happen!" By now, some of the couples around them were staring in astonishment or confusion. Ichigo hung her head, buried her face in her hands, and rushed out, away from all of the people. She burst through one of the doors into the garden, sobbing. Kish looked around at all of the people, ducked low into the ground like he was picking something up, and teleported. He didn't want to make a bigger scene than he already had, and, at this point, he didn't really care who saw him. Ichigo was the only thing that mattered, the only thing he could wrap his mind on. He had to find her and settle the whole ordeal.

Ichigo, once she was outside, ran around the corner and into the garden maze of neatly trimmed bushes. She'd played there many times, so she knew exactly how to navigate through it. In her childhood, she had discovered what was in the middle of that maze- a little stone gazebo with glass windows. It was covered all over with yellow roses, and she often hid there and won when playing hide and go seek. But now, as a young woman, she was dashing through there seeking refuge from people. She needed to be alone to cry her eyes out. Besides, she had probably smeared her mascara all over herself, so she probably looked ugly, too. That was what she figured as she clamored in the quaint little structure and sat herself down on one of the benches.

Then, she began to sob. She cried and cried and cried until she thought that she ran dry of tears. Then she just hugged her knees as close as she could get them and let out little dry, shuddering sobs that sounded ugly to her ears. She groaned and let go of her knees. Without putting much thought into it, she undid her sash from around her waist. It felt much better without it. It gave her a little more room to breathe. Then she took off her mask. She didn't have a mirror, but she was sure that she had raccoon eyes by now. She probably looked like some kind of hideous monster, she figured. Then she took her hair out of the ponytail and let it fall around her face and to her shoulders. The ponytail had itched like nothing before, and her hair acted as her safety blanket, shielding her face from the cold outside her and surrounding her in the scent of lilacs. Ichigo was about to take off her shoes before she realized that they had long since been kicked off. Her feet had a numb feeling like they still were in high heels. She looked at the blisters from where the straps were and almost cried at the sight of that. But, then she remembered, I have no more tears left to cry. She just broke down in dry sobs once more, lying down spread out on the white bench. Miserable, that was what she was. Miserable. Pathetic, she thought.

Not a minute or two later, she heard some movement from the side of her. She just screwed her eyes shut tighter and pretended like she didn't hear whatever it was. If she ignored it, it would go away. Yet, "It" seemed to have no intention of leaving. "It" moved to the bench next to her. She soon felt something warm draped over her shoulders. Realizing it was a coat, she fingered the sides and kept up her "still sleeping" act. Soon she felt cold fingers tuck a piece of hair behind her ear affectionately.

"Go…go away, K-Kish," Ichigo chocked, holding sobs at bay. "Th-this is y-your f-faul-lt an-anyway…"

"Ichigo," Kish murmured, "I'm doing everything I can to help you. Please, how can I make you happy?"

"Leave me alone," Ichigo spat back, sitting up in a sudden burst of energy. "Just go away so I can forget that someone like you ever existed, okay?"

"But Ichigo, I-"

"Don't say it!" Ichigo sobbed, more tears leaking out. "I don't want this heartache to get any bigger, Kish. I can't have you, and it's tearing me apart." Kish's face grew to a serious one, his eyebrows lowering closer to his eyes. He reached out and clamped Ichigo's shoulders in his hands. He lifted her up to look at him.

"Ichigo, listen!" he called. "There's no way you can live this out, Ichigo! You're scaring me, the way you torture yourself like this! You have a choice! I am giving you that option right now, Ichigo! All you have to say is 'Take me away, Kish' and I'll do it! Please, Ichigo! Do what's best for _you!_"

Ichigo's mouth opened and closed like she was trying to say something, but it didn't come out. Kish sighed, looked Ichigo in the eyes and whispered, "Ichigo, please, don't do this to yourself."

"But Kish, I-"

"Ichigo, close your eyes."

Ichigo hesitantly closed her eyes.

"No peeking," Kish instructed. "Now, pretend that you're not a princess anymore."

"But-"

"Pretend, Ichigo. Now, as being a regular…servant of the palace, what will you do when I come up to you one day and say hi?"

"Probably say 'hi' back."

"Okay, so what would you do if I started kissing you?"

"Well I can't-"

"You're a servant. Not a princess."

"I…I'd kiss you back."

"Mhm…that's what I thought. Now, as a servant, and therefore not a princess, what will you say when I say 'I love you'?"

"I love you, too."

"I love how you can always make me smile by the things you do and say. I love how you can make me laugh, even when you mess up," Kish crooned, letting Ichigo lay her head on his shoulder.

"I…" Ichigo started, "…I love it that you treat me like I'm really something special, and not because I'm a princess, but because I'm me."

"There you go," Kish coaxed. "You're getting the hang of this. Stepping out of the servant and back into the princess already. Well, I love it when you yawn, because your little fangs stick out and your ears and tail seem to yawn with you. It's so cute that it makes me want to cuddle you like a cat."

"Well I love it when you cuddle me like a cat, because it makes me feel special, like we're the only ones in the whole wide world."

"I love it when you smile for real, because it's like a little ray of sunshine. You make me want to smile, too."

Ichigo paused, placing one hand on Kish's lap. She opened her eyes a crack and whispered, "I like it when you kiss me, because it sends me flying up towards heaven. It makes everything else seem insignificant, like the best place to be is to be there in your arms with your lips against mine…"

"I can make that happen, Kitten," Kish murmured. Ichigo moaned. "Please, Kitten. You can pretend you're that servant girl if it makes you feel better."

"N-no…" Ichigo muttered. Kish was about to cut in arguing when she continued, "…no, I am Princess Ichigo. I will be strong. I'm not weak. I won't let this get the best of me."

"You're very strong, Ichigo," Kish said in encouragement. "You're one of the strongest girls I've ever met. No girl should ever have to go through what you have to go through. You can stand up to anything."

"Kish," Ichigo said boldly, looking up at Kish with a look of enthusiasm, "Please, kiss me." Kish wasted no time to bow his head and gently press his lips against Ichigo's. Ichigo responded quickly, wrapping an arm around the back of his neck and pulling him closer. Kish put his arms around Ichigo's waist and leant forward, putting more force into the kiss.

Ichigo suddenly slipped her arms from Kish's neck and stopped responding. Kish kept on kissing her for a few seconds more before he, too, stopped and broke apart from Ichigo. Then, he saw why she stopped. Standing before both of them with a look of shock was Masaya. He looked like he had just stepped out from a teleportation, and he was staring at the couple in complete astonishment.

"M-Masaya…" Ichigo whimpered. She hung her head and covered her face. Kish, choosing to ignore the presence of Masaya, put his arms around Ichigo and rocked her back and forth.

"Sh, shh…" he whispered soothingly. Ichigo was sniffling again from inside her hands.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Masaya asked worriedly.

Continuing to stroke Ichigo's back, Kish shot him a dirty look and hissed, "She doesn't need you right now." Masaya, looking towards Kish, saw the glint in his eyes and recognized who it was behind the mask. Masaya narrowed his eyes.

"Prince Kish."

"Long time no see, bastard."

* * *

{A.N./ Wow, I feel really bad right now...I totally spaced out on uploading this chapter until I got back from camping. I remembered the day after I left and I wanted to slap myself. Sorry about the delay! (again...) I hope this chapter wasn't too...corny. I tried to make it work and did a quick editing job with it because it was so late. I might go back and fix it up more when I'm not so pinched for time, seeing that this is NOWHERE near the end of the fic. I don't think I'm even halfway yet. Lots of good stuff coming! :) As always, reviews are the icing on my cake!}


	14. VOX::part 1

{**A.N./** MERRY CHRISTMAS! (early!) Surprised? I had some free time recently (hard to find, as of late...) and was able to edit this beast of a chapter. I suck at fight scenes, so please have mercy. Don't expect updates to start rolling out fast after this. I have been so incredibly busy lately...you have no idea. Haha. Anyway, please enjoy and take this chapter for what it's worth. Have a fantastic holiday season!}

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"Let go of the princess," Masaya warned.

Kish gripped Ichigo tighter. "I'm only letting her go if she wants me to, because I seem to be the only one around here who really cares about her at all."

"The only one who cares about her?" Masaya said doubtfully. "Why is Ichigo out here crying? She's crying because of you. If you cared, you would leave her alone!" Kish growled low in his throat and bared his teeth like a dog. His hand rose from his side and took off his mask. Instantly his wings grew double in size, changing to massive demon ones. He aggressively spread these out their full fifteen-foot wingspan.

"Don't decide these things for Ichigo!" Kish hissed. Ichigo let go of Kish and staggered back as Kish stood up. He disappeared in a cloud of black smoke and reappeared on the top of the gazebo. Masaya, seeing Ichigo was out of Kish's hands, rushed forward to help her out of the gazebo and away from Kish. Ichigo quickly shook her head as he tried to pull her out.

"Ichigo, we have to go!"

"No, Masaya!"

Masaya seemed not to heed her words, gripping her hand tighter and insisting, "Ichigo, we have to get out of here!"

Kish's eyes grew wild as the scene below him played out. He lifted a hand to his head and whispered a few words. His hand glowed blue, and soon his whole face did the same, his eyes sparking at the ducts with electricity.

"Let go of her!" Kish yelled to Masaya. Masaya stepped out of the gazebo to watch Kish with horror, Ichigo standing beside him. Kish put both hands to his eyes and yanked out the golden whips, leaving the blue sockets behind.

"I'll blow your face in, bastard!" Kish screamed, his mouth glowing with the electricity. Kish tilted the handle of his whips upwards so he could still use his eyes through the end of the handle. Kish knew he couldn't keep this up for long, though. He was fight with his eyes as whips, and that meant fighting blind. It was his most powerful attack- able to kill in a single strike, but also extremely risky to use.

Masaya scowled up at Kish and summoned his long sword, taking to the sky. Kish wore a wild sort of grin as he spun the whips back around and swung them with a crack. Both he aimed it at Masaya, focusing as best he could. Masaya was barely able to dodge before the whips snapped back, creating an ear-splitting snap. Kish tried again, focusing on Masaya's subtle noises and his soul's presence. Masaya began flying in erratic patterns to try and throw off Kish's aim. Kish followed Masaya with his senses as he flew back and forth, something that was proving hard to do with Kish's rage not yet subsided. Finally, Kish figured a sort of pattern. He reached out with one whip, then the other in another direction as to catch Masaya in between. Masaya saw through Kish's strategy and dived towards the ground before either of the whips could strike him. Kish gritted his teeth.

"Give up!" Masaya called. "You're not going to win! Let's not fight anymore!"

"I'll give up when you're dead!" Kish yelled back. "That'll make my life a whole lot easier!"

"You're going to kill Ichigo with those lightning whips!" Masaya said, dodging another whip. "If you miss and happen to hit her, she won't survive the shock!"

"Trust me," Kish yelled with a grin, "I won't miss!" He swung one of his whips with unusual quickness. This one barely grazed the bottom of Masaya's wing, taking off a few of his white feathers. Masaya felt a slight buzz of a charge shoot up his body, making him cringe. He counted himself lucky he wasn't injured, but scowled at the fact that Kish had gotten so close.

"No too light on your feet, huh?" Kish mocked. "I hope that hurt! I'm gonna show you hell!"

Suddenly, Ichigo yelled up to Kish, cupping her hands over her mouth, "Stop it, Kish! Don't hurt him!" Kish paused. Ichigo, seeing that he was listening to her, continued, "Please, I'm begging you! Stop!"

Kish hesitated. He could still hear the flapping of Masaya's wings and his heavy breathing. Masaya was also waiting for Kish's answer. Masaya judged by Kish's hesitation that he was going to heed Ichigo's cries.

Kish bowed his head and let out a breath through his teeth. He knew just as well as Masaya that he couldn't resist fulfilling a request of Ichigo's. Kish was just like a dog to a master, and he hated it. He wanted to keep fighting, but Ichigo would hate him for it. Then what? Kish had to follow what she was saying. He had waited for months for a rematch with Masaya, but maybe this wasn't the time. Kish flipped his whips in his hands and fed them back into his eyes. Not a moment after he had, Masaya's flying pattern changed.

Abruptly, Kish whirled around to look behind. It was too late. Masaya came out of a teleportation and had pinned him to the roof of the gazebo, his sword poised over him. Kish slid a little on the dome-shaped roof before coming to a rest on the edge, his head hanging over it. He growled and tried to kick Masaya off. Masaya drove his knee into Kish's leg, making Kish tense up in pain. Not again. Kish had lost again.

"Just like last time," Masaya said calmly, his face one like stone.

"You wouldn't kill me," Kish hissed, glaring at Masaya coldly. Masaya glared back.

"No, actually. You'd serve much better a purpose in the dungeons, being tortured for information." Kish narrowed his eyes. This angel boy had told him he didn't want to fight just a few minutes ago. Now he was talking of torture.

"Hold that thought," Kish said to Masaya. He relaxed the muscles in his neck, his head falling back over the edge. He was able to look at Ichigo this way, his head upside-down. He put on an innocent-looking face.

"You're not going to let your fiancé torture me, are you?" he asked her. Ichigo held a horror-filled face, shaking her head back and forth rapidly.

"See that?" Kish said, lifting his head up again. "Ichigo says not to torture me."

"Don't get Ichigo involved in this!" Masaya said. "She doesn't have to be mixed up in these problems."

"Well _this_ problem happens to be one Ichigo cares a lot about, so you'd better leave this problem to his own business," Kish said with a wicked smirk.

"Your own business being harassing Ichigo," Masaya said in disapproval. "You deserve what's coming to you." Kish raised an eyebrow at Masaya, then relaxed his head once more to look at Ichigo.

"Hey, Ichigo! Do I deserve torture for bugging you?"

Ichigo's mouth opened, then closed. Finally, she fixed her eyes to Masaya and yelled, "Masaya, let him go!" Kish smirked in victory before Masaya replied.

"If I let him go, all he will do is try to kill you or me! Ichigo, you can't trust him as willingly as you do." Kish rolled his eyes and sat up to look at Masaya.

"There you go again! Telling Ichigo what to do or what to feel. 'Ichigo, do this!' 'Ichigo, do that!'. You'd think she's the scullery maid instead of the princess, the way you and the rest of the royal court orders her around. I feel sorry for her."

"I'm only advising her on what I think is right," Masaya retorted.

"If you care about her own free will, release me. Ichigo said so." Masaya's face grew into one of shame. Kish waited a few more moments before continuing, "So? Are you going to let me go?" The corners of Masaya's mouth turned down. He slowly, cautiously, let go of his grip on Kish's arms. He stood up, allowing Kish to rise. Kish also stood up, turning around at the sound of Ichigo's voice.

"Kish, come here."

Kish obeyed, jumping off the gazebo and gracefully landing in a crouch. He got up and took a few steps to Ichigo. Masaya immediately teleported, standing protectively by Ichigo. Ichigo seemed to take no regard of him, opening her arms towards Kish, beckoning him in. Kish smiled and accepted the welcome, sweeping Ichigo up in an embrace. Masaya opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He looked down at his feet, scowling in disgust. Kish smirked in victory.

"Masaya?" Ichigo said, her voice muffled by Kish's hug.

"Yes, Ichigo?" Masaya said, his head remaining bowed.

"Could you please leave us be?"

"But Ichigo, he's a demon! He's the _prince _of them! He's our mortal enemy! I'm sorry, but it would be against my duties as your fiancé and your friend to leave you with that monster!" Masaya said, exasperated. Kish shot him a sideways glare that was so full of hate it could melt steel.

"He's just as much a person as you and I," Ichigo said. "Now could you please leave?" Masaya hesitated, remembering what Kish had said about obeying Ichigo's will.

"Are you sure, Ichigo?"

"Yes."

Masaya sighed. "As you wish, Princess."

"Thank you," Ichigo murmured, shutting her eyes wearily. Masaya took one last glance at the couple before disappearing from sight. Kish shifted his grip on Ichigo, releasing her and resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Thanks, Kitten," he said gratefully. Ichigo shut her eyes and leaned back up against Kish.

"A little while longer…" she breathed. "Let's stay here…like this…for a little while longer."

"Of course," Kish soothed, stroking her hair. "As long as you wish."

They stood like that, shadows in the moonlight, for another minute or so.

"Kish…why did you attack him?" Ichigo murmured, breaking the silence.

"What?" Kish feigned innocence.

"I told you not to cause trouble with Masaya," Ichigo mumbled impatiently.

"Yet here you are, hugging me," Kish replied smugly. Ichigo pushed him away, frowning.

"Look, I just don't want to cause any trouble!"

"Ichigo, you're too naive about these sort of things."

"I'm naive?" Ichigo laughed humorlessly. "And that's coming from the one who gets fired up every time I even say the name 'Masaya'!"

"I didn't mean it like that…" Kish replied, his voice growing colder. He lost his warm expression, his face molding into a serious one. "Ichigo, you need to understand that not everything in life is going to float along smoothly as long as you ignore it. I know I did some stupid things tonight that I shouldn't have, but you have to realize that this isn't one of your princess fairytale stories where 'they all live happily ever after'. This is real, and you need to make a choice. You're not a helpless princess, and you can make your own decisions in life."

There was a deafening silence. Ichigo stood silent, head bowed. Kish, seeing as Ichigo wasn't in the mood to talk, added, "I'm doing by best, you know. At making your life more fairytale-like. I know it was peaceful before, but I can give you more than the empty lies you're living in now."

More silence.

Then, Ichigo spoke up.

"You left your jacket in the gazebo," she said, her voice cold. "Let me get it for you."

"Alright," Kish agreed with a sigh. He hoped he hadn't killed Ichigo's mood entirely.

Ichigo went into the gazebo. When she came out, she was holding the coat. She paused, as she stared blankly at Kish's black jacket. Oddly, she bent her head down and buried her face in it, breathing in its scent. She made a confused face.

"I know what you smell like," she murmured, as if from a sudden revelation. "Ginger." Kish blinked twice.

"How long have you been wondering that?"

"A while," Ichigo said simply. "You always reminded me of some kind of spice, like cinnamon or something, but it's definitely ginger." Kish smirked.

"Kitten, you never fail to amuse me."

"I suppose that's kind of weird of me to say," Ichigo remarked, her smile finally returning. She held out her hand with the coat. "Here's your coat back." Kish, getting an idea, took hold of Ichigo's outstretched hand and pulled her forward to him with it. She came forward with a little yelp. Kish leant his face down to hers so that their foreheads were resting on each other and their noses brushed. Kish smirked, let out a little laugh, and kissed Ichigo softly on the cheek. He pulled back and took his coat.

"Thanks, Sweetheart," he said with a smile.

Ichigo nodded meekly.

"I need to get back," she said. "Everyone at the ball is probably wondering where I am."

"I…" Kish hesitated, trying to think of the right words as not to offend Ichigo. His eyes wandered up and down from her makeup-smeared face to her blistered feet. "I wouldn't if I were you." Ichigo felt her face, catching Kish's meaning.

"Well then what do I do?" Ichigo asked in a panic. "I can't go back to my room with you taking me there! Someone will find out I'm there and wonder how I got there. What if someone sees you? "

"They might as well…" Kish mumbled angrily. "Since the angel brat pretty much screwed me over anyway…"

"What?" Ichigo asked, wide-eyed. Kish sighed.

"Look, I'm not going to try hide it- angel boy's probably gonna spill on us, meaning you're going to have guards following you around 24-7 and who knows what else." Kish paused, then continued drearily, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you need to make a choice soon, Ichigo, or your country will make it for you. And I guarantee you're not gonna like it."

Ichigo nodded slowly. "But I still don't know what I should do about here and now. I can't go back in that ball looking like this!"

"Here, hold on a sec," Kish muttered. He tilted Ichigo's face up and began rubbing off the smeared makeup with his fingers, stretching Ichigo's skin this way and that.

"This is really uncomfortable," Ichigo muttered.

"Hold on, I've almost got it…" Kish replied anxiously. "There! Okay, most of it's gone. Your mask should cover up the rest. As for your feet…" Kish, to Ichigo's surprise, began to take off his shoes.

"I won't fit your shoes!" Ichigo exclaimed. "You have humongous feet!"

Kish ignored this remark, and continued to remove his socks. "I know this might not help a whole lot, but it _will_ help." He handed Ichigo his socks. Ichigo blatantly stared at Kish, wondering if he had gone crazy. Kish rolled his eyes.

"Look, I know socks aren't really the style with heels, but it's that or foot torture. I don't think you want to go barefooted at this time of night, considering the amount of now-drunk men in there that will want to dance with you, and are likely to step on your feet." Ichigo let out a huff of reluctance and took the socks. She yanked them on without much grace and walked back to the gazebo, where she fitted her feet into her heels.

"This looks ridiculous," she muttered.

"I swear to you no one will notice," Kish consoled, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, like I said, most of the men are probably drunk by now." The corners of Ichigo's mouth turned up as she slipped her mask back on and pruned her hair.

"Alright…how do I look?" she asked.

"Beautiful," Kish said with a grin. "It's really too bad I can't dance with you more." Ichigo smirked.

"You know, I'm liking this new gentlemanly attitude," she remarked as she walked past Kish into the maze of bushes. Kish turned to watch her go, smiling after.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," he whispered back.


	15. VOX::part 2

_"I'm doing by best, you know. At making your life more fairytale-like. I know it was peaceful before, but I can give you more than the empty lies you're living in now." _

_..._

"_W__hat I'm trying to say is that you need to make a choice soon, Ichigo, or your country will make it for you."_

* * *

A hood thrown over a head. The smell of mothballs and dirt. This cloak had become all too familiar as of late. Castor was watching Kish intently. Kish caught his gaze.

"Don't let anyone in here while I'm out. I should be back within the hour."

Kish's relationship with his trusted companions had changed ever since Ichigo had interpreted their feline minds. Now that Kish was aware of their human-like attributes, Castor and Pollux had grown closer. Castor, sharing this relationship with Kish, growled and bowed his head slightly to signify understanding.

Kish took a step forward and was engulfed in black smoke. Then, silence except for Castor's subtle purr.

The bustling square of the dingy town was overcast by grey clouds and oncoming showers. People hurried about the streets; all busy, all unaware of Kish who glided in-between the crowds like fingers through a woman's hair. Glancing this way and that, he took care not to make eye contact with anyone he passed. After wandering down street after street, Kish made it to a quieter part of the town. He counted the houses along the street until he came to a tired-looking cottage of old brick.

Kish eyed the street he was on. No one. He took a deep, shaking breath and said a silent prayer to an unknown god. He raised a hand to the door and knocked sharply. Then waited a few painfully slow seconds. It didn't take long for the door to open.

A cheerful-looking human woman opened the door, black cat tail swishing about her waist.

"Hello, may I help you?"

Kish cleared his throat. He met the eyes of this woman who looked very, very familiar. His question may have been made redundant. To make himself certain, he asked it anyway.

"Are you Sakura, and is this the house of Shintaro?"

Sakura nodded. She looked a bit shaken. Kish guessed it was his eyes. They were an uncommon color for the human race.

"Yes, it is. Shall I fetch my husband?" Sakura said, glancing back into the home. Kish knew she was feeling uncomfortable in his presence. She knew something wasn't right here.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I have some information I'd like to discuss with both you and your husband," Kish said coolly. He made eye contact with Sakura again. Something clicked in her head. Kish saw it in her face. She knew.

She made a motion to slam the door.

"It's about your daughter!" Kish said hurriedly. That stopped her. Sakura looked into his eyes again. Hurt, confusion, and fear bubbled up onto her surface. She called for her husband over her shoulder, and invited Kish in tentatively. Kish let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

Once inside, Kish was cordial in removing his shoes and his hood. Shintaro emerged from the back room and proceeded into the room slowly. Kish could read him too. Shintaro wasn't sure who he was. He wasn't as sharp as his wife. His panicked wife looked from her husband to Kish. Shintaro narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly. Kish bowed.

"My apologies for intruding into your home, sir," he said. "I'm here to dicuss your daughter."

"We don't have a daughter," Shintaro said gruffly. Kish scowled. "Answer my question. Who are you?" Kish, already feeling uncomfortable, saw no way around the inevitable.

"Sir, please don't be alarmed. My name is Kish, son of King Kota, prince of the Demon Kingdom." Sakura shifted her weight anxiously.

Shintaro, to Kish's surprise, did not act as rashly as he had expected. He grunted and lit a cigar.

"So? Doesn't give you any excuse to come busting into my house uninvited asking about a daughter I don't have."

"Pardon me, sir, but yes. You do have a daughter." Shintaro blew a puff of smoke as he met Kish's threatening gaze. "Her name is Ichigo. She has red, shoulder-length hair and big, brown eyes. She's about 5'2 and has a slight lisp when she pronounced her 'L's."

"You forgot the princess part," Shintaro muttered bitterly.

"So? Doesn't give you any excuse to pretend she's not your daughter."

That caught Shintaro's attention. He raised an eyebrow, put out his cigar, crossed the room, and sat down on one of the chairs by the lowly stove. He looked to his wife and nodded. Sakura left the room in a hurry.

"Sit down," he said to Kish, gesturing to the chair next to him. "And take off that damn cloak already. You won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Kish complied, removing his cloak and draping it over the back of his chair as he sat down.

The fire was low. Only a few coals were left smoldering in the ashes. Shintaro glared at the coals, deep in his thoughts. The two men stayed like that for another minute before Shintaro spoke.

"So, what is it you want?"

"A lot," Kish answered honestly.

"Well, you gotta start somewhere," said Shintaro. "How do you know Ichigo?"

"Hear about Ichigo getting captured few months ago?"

"Yes."

"There's your answer."

The silence that came after was a blend of resent and awkwardness.

"Ah," said Shintaro. "In that case, why come here?"

Kish sighed. "Well..." he started hesitantly, "Ichigo and I enjoyed each other's company, strange as it seems. We get along quite well. Seems she's been going through a lot lately... you know, about to be married to some guy she doesn't know."

Shintaro remained quiet during Kish's pause, so he continued.

"I struck an offer with her. Escape her palace. Come to mine. Hide there as long as you want. Only problem is that she's still concerned about you two. She doesn't want to leave you for fear that the king would use you as bait to get her to come back. She doesn't want to cause you any harm."

Shintaro was still quiet. His eyes were no longer full of spark. They were dull, sad. Lonely.

"She remembers her parents..." Shintaro mumbled. He turned his head to look Kish in the eyes. "How do I know this isn't a lie?"

"What reason would I have to lie to you?" said Kish. Shintaro considered this simple question, then turned back to stare at the fire solemnly. Kish turned at a sound behind him. Sakura was listening at the doorway to the room. She was crying.

Shintaro took a deep breath.

"Ok, what do you need us for?"

An enormous weight lifted off Kish's shoulders. He had them.

"I need you to come back to the palace with me sometime in the next few days. My father is very near to passing on and when he does I will be the one giving orders in the palace. I will have you taken care of there and Ichigo will arrive soon after. In the meantime, you two need to pack your things and be ready to leave in a moment's notice. Do you understand?"

Shintaro nodded gravely. Sakura stumbled into the room sobbing. She furiously wiped the tears from her face and said, "Thank you. Thank you, so much. You are the kindest young man I have ever met. We are forever in your debt." Kish smiled weakly and nodded.

"It's my pleasure. You have my greatest apologies for the short notice and my thanks for understanding so completely. Your trust is crucial to Ichigo's safety. You two are truly wonderful parents."

Shintaro's face was still solemn.

"What does she remember...? About us, that is," Shintaro said monotonously.

"Not a lot," Kish replied quickly. "But enough to know that you two were her parents, and to find out for herself that she was adopted."

Kish looked to the red-eyed Sakura, "She remembers you. She remembers that you had black cat features. Her only clear memory is of you singing her a lullaby she barely remembers."

"Which one?" Sakura squeaked, beginning to shed more tears. "Please, which one was it?" Kish struggled to remember.

"She said she believed it wasn't in her native language, though she wasn't sure if that was just her imagination. She doesn't remember the lyrics, just the first line of melody. It goes something like this." Kish thought for a moment, tried a wrong note, then successfully hummed the simple tune. Once he was finished, Sakura instantly began to sob again.

"Fr-frere Jacques," she choked. "That's the name. I used to sing that to her... all the time..."

Kish solemnly let Sakura cry while Shintaro reached a loving arm across his wife's shoulders. "I can't believe I'll be able to see her again..." said Sakura. "My little girl... "

"I think it's best I go now," Kish said, nodding to the couple and standing up from his chair. He took his cloak and hid his identity once again. He took a few steps from the stove before he heard a voice.

"Wait."

It was Shintaro. He had been quiet for a while.

"I'm not sure how to say this. I guess I'll say thank you."

"No," said Kish, "Thank you. Please prepare yourselves. I will be back." With an outstretched hand he opened a smokey portal on the door and stepped through it quickly and quietly, returning to the safety of his room.

Castor greeted him with a stare that Kish found he understood. His shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, I know. No turning back now."

* * *

[a.n./ I guess I have some explaining to do, huh? Well, there's this crazy thing called school that ate my life. I basically forgot what boredom felt like until a couple days ago. And then I thought, "What happened to my FFnet account?" So I went and checked it out. Holy. F-ing. Bovine. This story kinda exploded and I had no idea that it was still getting reviews. Wow. You guys are the coolest, seriously. All you new readers _and _you old ones. Thanks for sticking with this story even when everyone thought I was dead. Not making any promises here, but maybe more updates in the future if this chapter is received well? Oh yeah, and this is a few days late, but happy 10th birthday to the Toyko Mew Mew anime!]


	16. VOX::part 3

"YOUR HIGHNESS!"

Kish's eyelids flew open and he swung himself out of bed in one fluid motion, staring wild-eyed at the servant in the doorway.

"What the hell do you want?" Kish screamed, maniac from being woken up so early.

"Your father!" the servant yelled back, out of breath from running. "He's . . . he's . . . Come quick!"

"Shit," Kish cussed, grabbing a robe from his bedside. He matched the brisk pace of the servant as he led the way towards the hospital wing of the castle. They passed various attendees to the royal family bustling back and forth in the stone halls, some of them reversing their direction to follow the pair, all of them muttering a "your highness" as they passed Kish. Kish's eyes stayed fixed on the back of the servant's head, scowling. The hallways to the castle were like a maze, but Kish had learned to navigate it by the tapestries on the walls. It took more than a few minutes to reach the hospital wing, but when they did, Kish burst through the door without waiting for the servant to open it for him.

All of the nurses turned to look at him, then, in unison, said, "Your highness," and stepped aside from the bed where Kish's father so often lay. Kish walked over to the bedside, albeit slowly, and knelt down by the side of his father.

The king, Kish's father, was overweight, all of the muscle he had gained while a mighty warrior translating to fat in his inactivity. His face showed obvious signs of aging—deep wrinkles, sunken eyes. Yet his eyes held a certain fierceness Kish had grown both to fear, and to respect. Those eyes stared at him now.

"Kish," his father said, "Now is the time. I am dying."

"Father, you've been dying for several months now," Kish replied, matching his father's blunt statement. He got a scowl in return.

"Nevermind that, Kish, you fool. I can feel the life leaving me as you contradict me in my old age," his father said. He took a long, raspy breath, and let it out. "I just needed to see you before it happens. You're all I have left, you know. Don't disappoint me."

Kish nodded sternly. "Yes, father." Kish reached out and gingerly took his father's hand. The king looked grateful, but kept the stern disposition, his eyes fixed on his son.

"Remember your training. I have made you strong. You owe your strength to me." He coughed, wheezed, and struggled to continue. "Now I need you to wield that strength in the way that I have taught you: by example. When in times of doubt, remember me, and what I would have done."

"Yes, father."

"I want you . . . I want you to make me proud."

Kish began to tear up, but did not lift a hand to wipe away the water. Instead, he stood still, still holding his father's hand, trying his best not to let the tears fall in front of his father, his commanding general, and his teacher.

"I know you will want to mourn me," the king said, shifting his eyes away from Kish. "But as you know, our customs are unforgiving about the time allowance for mourning rituals. You are to take over my position immediately and save no formality for my name's sake. Is that understood?"

"Yes, father."

"Good." The king let out another deep, raspy breath. "Do good, son. As I have done good."

The king closed his eyes and breathed a long, agonizing breath. Kish felt his father's heavy hand grow limp in his. Kish let the silent tears stream down his cheeks as he pressed his father's hand to his face.

"I will, father, I will," Kish whispered, squeezing the hand further.

The nurses quietly approached the bed. One checked the pulse on his neck.

"He has passed on," she announced solemnly.

Kish took the hand of his dead father and placed it over his chest, rising on his feet. As soon as he stood, all of the nurses dropped to their knees and lowered their heads.

"Your majesty," one said. The others echoed her response.

Kish stood unmoving for a brief moment, before saying, "Rise." The nurses obeyed. Kish looked around the room, taking one last glance at his father.

"_Don't disappoint me."_

Kish turned on his heel, folded his hands behind his back, and walked towards the door, which one of the nurses opened for him. As soon as the door opened, Kish saw there was a crowd gathered around the entrance. Kish looked at them all, their eyes all asking the same question. Kish answered by lowering his eyes towards the ground.

In a similar manner to the nurses, everyone crowded in the hallway immediately dropped to their knees and lowered their heads in respect for the new king standing in front of them.

"Rise," Kish commanded once more. The people rose. Kish looked out at the crowd, recognizing that they were waiting for orders. "My father spoke to me concerning how his funerary rights are to be performed. As per custom, he has requested not to hold a period of mourning for him, but to instead immediately be replaced."

"Then come with me," one of the scholars near the front said, "We need to take you to the king's chambers to prepare you for initiation. In the meantime, the rest of the servants will be following the standard procedure we hold for the crowning, although none of the staff is old enough to have the experience of having done it before."

Kish nodded understandingly. "You and the rest of the wise men know better than I do. Do as you see fit."

"Yes, your majesty," the scholar replied, bowing once more. "If you would be please follow me, I and the rest of the elite scholars we have assembled here will escort you to your late father's chambers."

Kish nodded. "Lead the way."

"Yes, your majesty."

The rest of the crowd dispersed around them quickly, murmuring to each other and scurrying off to their various tasks. Kish knew that this was not going to be a simple ceremony. His father's initiation had been seventy years ago, when he was crowned at the age of nineteen. None of the current staff had been in attendance, except as children. All who were there to witness it had described the ceremony, passed on from generation to generation, as "riveting". Now the new staff had to match the splendor of the last ceremony, in a matter of hours, as was per custom.

Kish had often wondered about why the crowning took place so soon after the death of the king. He pondered it again as he was being led to his father's room, now his own. Kish, now experiencing the death of a king firsthand, understood now the initial purpose behind holding the ceremony so close to the death. In that moment he felt vulnerable—susceptible to attack. His kingdom felt frayed, without control. He now was able to comprehend why the crowning must take place immediately.

As soon as they arrived in Kish's father's chambers, which had been unoccupied for several weeks due to Kish's father's hospitalization, the scholars walked over to a tapestry hanging on the wall, lifting it up at the edges to reveal a dark hallway behind it. One of the scholars, who was carrying a torch, stepped towards the front of the group to lead the way.

"Fetch more torches," the first scholar called. "We're going to need this place to be well-lit. Also, I need you to find the wolf girl. She'll know what to do with his majesty's paint."

"While you're doing that," Kish added, "Fetch Pie and Tart. Bring them here." The second scholar bowed, mumbled a quick "yes, your majesty", and scampered out of the room quickly.

"You're getting Zakuro to put on my marks?" Kish asked curiously, the specifics of the custom springing to mind. The scholar nodded, coming out of the hallway and into a small room lacking in windows. There were trunks and closets lining the circular room, a throne seated in the middle. Everything smelled like dust and old wood.

"Forgive me, your majesty, but she is the only one I know who can properly mix the ink and apply it to your upper body," the scholar said apologetically. "I'm afraid if one of us did it, it would be a disaster."

"Understood," Kish said calmly. "Please don't apologize. I'm glad you chose her, actually. She is a trustworthy servant and I hold a deep respect for her." The scholar looked a bit miffed, but stayed silent. Kish caught on to his upset nature and shot him a glare.

"I am aware that Zakuro is human," Kish muttered, "and I would appreciate it if you treated her like an equal instead of thinking of her as inferior. She is well worthy to assist me at this time, and has proven herself loyal through her years of servitude in the castle. If I find you harassing her for her position in this ceremony, you will cease to exist. Am I clear?"

"Yes your majesty," the scholar muttered, anxiously swallowing with great difficulty.

"Good," Kish muttered.

Just then, the second scholar returned, three more servants in tow. All three held torches. The third was a female with long purple hair, wrapped up in a cloak and looking like she had been woken up not moments ago.

"Zakuro, I want to extend my thanks to you," Kish said. "I apologize for the last minute demand."

"It's my pleasure," the tired yet alert Zakuro replied, not missing a beat. "I offer my condolences concerning your father. May he rest in peace."

"Thank you," Kish said, smiling slightly.

The four servants holding torches found brackets in the walls to rest them in. Immediately they began to pull open trunks and inspect the contents.

"Kish!"

Kish recognized the voice immediately. Tart came rushing into the small room, darting over to where Kish was and clamping him in a rare embrace. Pai came solemnly afterwards, his head bowed.

"I'm sorry it all had to happen so fast," Tart murmured, releasing Kish. "I wish there was something I could do." Kish looked at Pie, who gave Kish a simple nod.

"Actually, there is something you can do," said Kish. "You and Pie both. You can stay with me while this happens. These are trying times and I could . . . well, I could use the support."

"It would be the greatest honor," Pie said, speaking up in a low tone. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Kish shook his head. "It's in the past now, right? As my father told me when I was at his side, we should be focusing on is what's ahead. Namely, the fact that I now have the responsibility of guiding this kingdom. And that's not something to be taken lightly."

"One step at a time, Kish," Pie said, putting a comforting hand on Kish's shoulder. Kish smiled slightly, Pie mimicking his expression. Tart sensed the release in tension and grinned.

"Yeah!" the small demon boy piped up, "Right now it's ceremonial party time!"

Kish let out a short laugh. "Well, first ceremony, then party. They're two separate things, you doofus." He ruffled Tart in the hair, and Tart proceeded to slap his hand away.

"Alright, alright, so what's the first order of business?" he said.

"Well," interrupted one of the scholars in the back, reading from a large, dusty book, "It seems everything has been preserved perfectly back here. We just need to move a few of these trunks to the great hall, and have you dressed and looking the part."

"That sounds fine," Kish said. "Have those trunks moved and we'll start."

As soon as the servants began bustling around the trunks, Kish approached Pie and spoke softly, "Pie, did you do what I asked? With the green-haired girl?"

"Yes, Kish," Pie said. "The meeting went smoothly. She has instructions to deliver your message as soon as possible, and she will be preparing to depart immediately along with the small, hyper one."

"Good," Kish said. "Well done."

* * *

Zakuro dipped the paintbrush into the bowl of ink before lifting it to Kish's neck and applying another stroke. His whole face was covered in the markings now—the thick ink lines intended to mimic those of a tiger, while giving his face the contour of a skull. The lines were applied all around his eyes, down the sides of his nose, and across his cheekbones, all the way to the tips of his ears. Zakuro closely studied the book she had set off to the side as a guide. Along with other ceremonial specifics, it showed a close-up of how the paint was to be applied. Pie paced back and forth in the small, round room, while Tart picked through various specimens kept there in storage.

"Is this what they make you wear?" Tart asked, gently touching a lavish robe that hung behind the throne. As soon as Zakuro finished her stroke, Kish turned to look.

"Yeah, that's it," Kish said. "It's super old . . . been around for a few hundred years now. I'm surprised it hasn't fallen apart yet." The robe was black, laced with finite gold embroidery that had a scale-like pattern. The robe came with a gold sash and a thick, heavy cloak made out of some sort of black fur. Its golden clasp was in the shape of a snake.

"How the hell are we gonna get your wings in here without tearing it?" Tart asked, sticking his hand through one of the holes in the cloak.

"We'll figure it out," Kish said nonchalantly.

"Tart," Pie said sternly. "Those are sacred relics of the royal family. Please stop messing with them like they're toys."

"Fine," Tart sighed. He sat down on top of a trunk. "How much longer, Kish?"

"Almost done," Zakuro answered for Kish. "I've just got a few more strokes."

"Thanks again for doing this," Kish said to Zakuro. "I know this must be strange for you . . . participating in this kind of ceremony."

"Don't think too highly of yourself," Zakuro replied stoically, "I'm just here to put on the makeup. No one said anything about religious devotion to your customs."

Kish smirked. "That's true. You're free to think whatever you'd like about our culture."

"I've already sunk myself into it," Zakuro said. "But just because I'm accustomed to your ways doesn't mean that I have forgotten who I am and where I came from."

"But you wouldn't go back, would you?"

"No," said Zakuro, pausing for a moment to look down. "There's not a day where I regret my decision to come here."

"Good," Kish said. "We'd miss you too much." Zakuro smiled slightly.

"In this context, 'we' meaning a few choice people who have the common decency to speak to me," Zakuro said jokingly. "One of these days I'm going to get a hold on one of those potions I've heard about . . . the ones that make you grow wings. Then, maybe, people would treat me as more of an equal."

"I'll see what I can do about that," Kish said thoughtfully. "After all, I'm the one pulling the ropes around here."

"Yeah, but Voit's got a hold on all of them," Zakuro muttered, dipping her brush in the bowl of ink. "And from what I hear, he won't give them out for just anyone to use. I mean, who says they even work, anyway? Voit is just some psycho old guy living in the basement."

Kish snickered. "True, he is a psycho, but he's also a genius. I'll have a talk with him later."

Zakuro pulled her brush back from Kish's collarbone and heaved a long sigh.

"Ok, I think you're finished."

Kish rose and looked around for something to see his reflection in. His eyes fell on a dusty vanity behind him. He walked over, rubbed off the dust from the mirror, and almost recoiled at the sight of his reflection.

"Woah . . . I'm terrifying!" Kish said, making faces at himself. "Zakuro, this is amazing!"

The human girl shook her head. "I just followed what the book said to do. Nothing to it."

Pie and Tart stared at Kish.

"Dude," Tart said, "You're really freaky looking." Kish bore his teeth at Tart.

"I'm coming to kill you!" Kish growled. Tart looked genuinely afraid.

"What the hell, Kish, stop it," Tart said, laughing nervously.

"We've got to get you into your robes," Pie said. "We've taken up enough time as it is. Tart, go let the men outside know that Kish will be ready to present within ten minutes." Tart nodded and scrambled out of the room.

"There's one more thing before I go," Zakuro said, lifting up the book she had been using as a guide. "You're supposed to have gold piercings in both of your ears."

"What?" Kish whined. "Come on! Really? Do I have to?"

"Yes," Zakuro and Pie said in unison. They looked at each other briefly before Zakuro continued. "It says here that you must. Each ear has three piercings for a total of six: four gems, two rings. It says here that you don't have to leave them in after the ceremony is over . . . you just need them for this one night."

Kish rolled his eyes. "Ok, whatever, let's get this over with. Where are the piercings anyway?"

Zakuro looked at Pie, who shrugged. Kish groaned.

"Ok, guys, start looking for small, important-looking boxes," Kish said, opening the drawers to the vanity.

Zakuro, Pie and Kish all searched the small room, and it only took about two minutes before Pie said, "These must be the ones."

In a small, red box with golden filigree rested six pieces of jewelry, just as Zakuro had described. Kish picked up one of the rings and examined the needle that protruded out of it. He examined the studs and found the same sharp needles on all of them.

"Ok, let's get this over with," Kish sighed, plopping back down in the chair.

"Are you sure you want me to do it?" Zakuro said. "You might have a better time doing it yourself."

"No, I'll panic and stop myself if I try and do it," Kish muttered dejectedly. "You should just do it. Just go fast, ok?"

Zakuro nodded and without hesitation, picked up one of the studs, pinched a lower section of Kish's right ear and jabbed the stud through the cartilage.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Kish screamed, gripping the arms of the chair. Zakuro didn't even pause before the second earring was in. "OH MY GOD! THAT HURTS LIKE HELL!"

Third earring for the right ear—this time, a ring. "WHAT THE HELL ZAKURO!"

"Just doing my job," she muttered, swiftly moving to the other ear. Pinch, then the next stud was in. And the fifth, with Kish squirming in his seat like a fish flopping on the ground, straining to keep his head straight. Then the second ring and the last earring was in, with Kish letting out a howl of pain. Zakuro dabbed at some of the holes where the studs had pierced before stepping back and nodding in satisfaction.

"Yup. All done."

Kish stood up in a huff.

"Ok, ok, ok. Now since THAT is over, let's get these robes on and get this show on the road."

* * *

"Remind me again why you guys are out here?"

"To protect you, your highness."

"And if I tell you to go away?"

"We stay, your highness."

"What if I just sat here and talked to you about pretty clothes and handsome men all day? Would you leave then?"

No response.

Ichigo sighed dejectedly and shut the panes of the window, where there were two human soldiers sitting on either side of her window, perched precariously on the slanted roof of the castle. They had been put there quietly, without warning a few days after the incident at the royal ball. Surprisingly, though, Ichigo had not received a lecture about her behavior, and none of the servants seemed to know what really happened that night. So, as far as Ichigo could tell, Masaya had kept Ichigo's secret under wraps. With added security, she noted. There were two guards positioned outside her door as well. And they were under orders not to leave . . . ever.

It had been two weeks since Ichigo had last seen Kish. Part of her was worried about his absence, but she could understand why he was hesitant to meet with her. She could only assume that he knew about the added security, or at least guessed as much. She flopped on her bed, sighed, and stared at the ceiling.

The wedding was in less than a month. The clock was ticking. Ichigo had been fitted for a wedding gown a few days ago. Yet, at this point, Ichigo was unsure whether or not the wedding would go on. She was fixed on the idea that there would be no wedding—one way or another, she would be able to escape. But in Kish's absence, her confidence had begun to falter.

Her wedding gown was the traditional white, long-sleeved lacy bundle that royalty so often donned. Her vail was long. It had a train that seemed to go on forever. The final touch was something Ichigo struggled to comprehend—evidently some of the king's elite chemists had a breakthrough concerning an elixir that would confuse human genetics to those of a bird, giving any human to consumed it wings instead of their usual animal features. Ichigo did not understand fully how the science of it worked, except that she was assured the change was temporary in all of the human test subjects. Ichigo could only guess that the king was planning on giving her the elixir so she would appear as an angel for her wedding day. She scoffed at the idea, glaring at the little glass vial containing the elixir that sat on her vanity.

Just then, the door squeaked open and a familiar face walked in—Lettuce shut the door quietly behind her.

"Ichigo," she murmured. "I need to tell you something. Can anyone hear me?" Ichigo glanced at the closed window.

"No, just speak quietly. Come here," Ichigo patted a spot next to her on her bed. "What is it, Lettuce?"

"This afternoon, something very strange happened," Lettuce said. "I was approached by a strange man. At . . at first I didn't recognize him, but then he told me he had danced with me at the ball. But then he told me his real identity and . . . and Ichigo, he is a demon! Oh, it was so terrifying! I wanted to run! But he told me he would not hurt me, and he was only here to deliver a message."

Ichigo, wide-eyed, whispered, "What did he say?"

"He . . . Ichigo, this is going to sound completely crazy, but he said he had a message for you. He gave me this letter, and then he told me some other things, but they don't really make sense. He said I would understand once you explained, but you needed to read this first."

Lettuce pulled the crumpled white envelope from her pocket and handed it to Ichigo. Ichigo yanked the paper out of the envelope and began to read.

_My darling,_

Ichigo paused, looking up at Lettuce.

"Have you read this?"

Lettuce shook her head. "I would never, my lady." Ichigo nodded and continued to read.

_I am writing to you in order to explain my absence. I've been able to deduct that you are heavily guarded, which makes our meetings near impossible. I've been very busy with your escape plan. I've located your parents and I can assure you they are safe. They will be waiting for you at the castle when you arrive. Your two servants—the tall, green-haired one and the short blonde one—they will also be safe. Pie has been instructed to deliver this letter to the elder, along with the plan for what she and the other smaller servant must do to be safe. They may need further explanation, however. I'm aware that the smaller servant knows about our relationship. She discovered our identities at the ball. I don't know much concerning the older one, though. Please let them in on what they need to do._

_As for your provisions, be prepared to leave at any given moment, for time is growing thin and everything is in order. Pack only the essentials—I will have a room and complete provisions for you here, including a full wardrobe. And please, please don't lose hope. I can assure you that everything will work out to our advantage. _

_I love you more than life itself, my kitten. Please, stay safe until I come for you._

_Kish_

Ichigo folded up the letter and heaved a heavy sigh. She looked up at Lettuce, who looked very concerned. "What did it say?" she asked.

"Lettuce," Ichigo said slowly, retaining a low tone so that she would not be heard, "I've mentioned to you before that I have retained contact with Prince Kish, right?"

"Yes you have," Lettuce said, nodding. "Was the letter from him?"

Ichigo nodded. "Lettuce, there's a lot I haven't told you. Kish and I . . . well, Lettuce, I'm in love with him. And he loves me too. I know this is going to come as a shock to you, and I'm sorry I haven't told you earlier, but I need you more than ever, Lettuce." Ichigo began to tear up as she spoke.

"Lettuce, you have to understand that you and Pudding are my only friends," Ichigo said in a whimper. "And if I try and leave this place with Kish, it's likely that the king will use you and Pudding as bait for me to return. I can't let that happen to you, Lettuce. And that's . . . and that's what Pie was talking about when he gave you those instructions. I want to keep you and Pudding safe, but that means uprooting yourselves from this place and leaving for the demon castle."

Lettuce was in shock. Her eyes searched Ichigo's for an answer to the decision that lay ahead of her.

"I'm aware that this is extremely selfish of me," Ichigo said, pushing away tears from her face. "But I'm just trying to do the best I can to make everyone happy. I promise that once you get to the castle, you'll find that it's not that bad. I'm sure Kish and his friends will make us feel at home. But right now, I need to know that you're ok with all of this. That you'll . . . that you'll come with me. Because I need you right now. Not as an attendant, Lettuce. I need you as a friend."

Lettuce's face changed, a certain spark lighting in her eyes. She leaned forward and wrapped Ichigo in a warm embrace.

"Of course I'll come with you, Ichigo," she murmured. "I've grown up with you, you know. Seen you grow into a young woman. It only makes sense that I accompany you on your journey. And I'm sure that Pudding would feel the same." Ichigo was crying now, a stream of tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Lettuce," she whimpered, wrapping her arms around her friend. "Thank you, thank you. You're the best friend a girl could ask for. You don't know how . . . how much this means to me."

"Shhh, Ichigo, it's going to be okay," Lettuce soothed, petting Ichigo's hair. "I have to go now. Pudding still doesn't know we're preparing to leave. I will inform her of the situation, if you are alright with not telling her yourself." Ichigo rose from Lettuce's arms and shook her head.

"Yes, that's fine. Pudding already knows of Kish's and my relationship, so I'm sure she will take it well. In addition, she has already met Kish and two of his friends at the ball, knowing it was them."

"What?" Lettuce said, narrowing her eyes. "How did she know?"

Ichigo shook her head. "I don't know. She claims it was a lucky guess. She didn't seem fazed—I think her naivety is working in her favor." Lettuce rose from the bed.

"Alright, I will inform her then so we can both make preparations. And you should start composing a bag to take as well." Ichigo nodded.

"Lettuce," she said slowly. "Again, thank you. This means so much to me."

"Anything for my friend," Lettuce said with a smile. Ichigo smiled broadly, delighted. "Goodnight, Ichigo. Sleep well."

As soon as Lettuce had closed the door behind her, Ichigo glanced back down at the letter. She put it up to her nose and inhaled deeply. It smelled like him. Ichigo let a blissful sigh escape her as she held the letter close to her chest.

She set the letter down after a few moments and went to her closet. She walked to the end of the closet and pulled a small bag from the shelf above her hanging clothes. Bringing it out to her room, she discreetly set it under her vanity so it wouldn't be visually obvious to anyone who wanted to spy. In it she tossed her hairbrush, a couple ribbons, a pallet of lip gloss . . .

The little glass bottle sitting on her vanity sparkled in the moonlight. Ichigo eyed it warily, picked it up, and tossed it in the bag.

* * *

Back to the other side of the castle Kish went, now dressed in the full robes and makeup. Everyone he passed stared, some averting their eyes out of respect. The huge, black cloak billowed out from him, and his wings rested lightly on top of the dark fur. Due to the sheer mass of his clothing, Kish took up the whole width of the hallway as he walked. All that Kish was missing was the crown, which was kept in a case similar to the one that held the earrings. Pie was carrying the case now, accompanying Kish on their way to the great hall.

"How long will this take?" Kish hissed. "I'm so tired I could collapse under the weight of all these clothes."

"A while," Pie replied bluntly. "They have to read all of the previous king's memoir letters, plus the rights and responsibilities of being a king, plus the initiation speech, and then they crown you, and then they have a processional where everyone in service to the royal family has to come up one by one and offer their allegiance."

"Damn it," Kish muttered. "For a ceremony that takes place so soon after the death of the previous king, you'd think they'd speed it up a little."

"Well the celebration afterwards often lasts a full week," Pie offered. "At least, that's what it says in the book. Your father's took an extra day or two, even."

"Well I'm okay with that," Kish said. "I can leave and come back to a party whenever I want. I can't just leave a ceremony because I'm bored."

"Man, Kish, I feel bad for you!" Tart laughed. "This is going to suck! At least there will be good food afterwards!"

Kish rolled his eyes. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Ten past three," Pie said. The trio arrived at a tall doorway surrounded by various servants and a few men Kish recognized as the scholars from earlier. Some of them were holding pen and paper, ready to record the events of the night as they happened.

"Three in the morning?" Kish hissed. "My god. Let's get this over with already so I can go back to bed."

One of the scholars approached Kish, looking solemn.

"Your majesty, are you ready?"

Kish nodded.

"Ready as I'll ever be."


	17. RELINQUO::part 1

Ichigo awoke with a start to a loud boom. At first, she thought it was a thunder crack. She turned over in bed and shut her eyes once more. But there was another boom. And another, quickly following. Ichigo heard the voices of the guards outside yelling to each other in panicked tones. Her eyes flew open and she swung her feet out of bed, dashing to her window to look outside.

The window faced the north, but she craned her head to the side and saw towards the west there was what appeared to be gold lightning suspended in the air. Small particles of light fell down upon the land below, then faded. Ichigo supposed it was fire. It didn't take long before she made the connection that the lights were coming from the demon kingdom.

"Kish . . ." she murmured. _What's happening? _

Then, a huge column of fire shot up from the west, and spread out at the clouds like branches on a tree. The branches extended, reaching as far as the borders of the human kingdom, where Ichigo realized that the ends of the branches appeared as the heads of snakes. The snakes, like the sparks, faded and died out. Ichigo pushed open her window panes.

"What's going on?" she called to the guards outside. They looked at each other, then back at her.

"I've never seen this happen before!" one of them called. Another round of sparks flew in the air. "I can't say for sure what this is!" The other guard was still staring at the fading sparks.

All of a sudden two more guards burst through Ichigo's door. She shrieked at the sudden invasion of privacy. They ignored her completely and rushed to the window, which Ichigo quickly moved away from.

"Come on, you two, that's the signal!" one of them called, beckoning to the guards outside.

"What are you talking about?" the other one said, looking to his companion for help. The other one looked equally as confused.  
"No one told you?" the new guard called. "The demon kingdom just crowned a new king! They put on that massive fire show almost immediately after the death of the old one! We're supposed to assemble in the courtyard when we see the fire! No word on if we're attacking, though—I get the impression we're only to remain at the ready as backup! Word is that the angels might stage a surprise attack!"

Ichigo froze. A new king. Death of the old king. Surprise attack.

Kish was now king. Of the demon kingdom. All of this public show was to announce that Kish was now king.

A shiver ran up her spine and she felt scared and in awe at the same time.

The two guards outside Ichigo's window scrambled into the room and after the other two guards, all completely ignoring Ichigo and marching out in order. As soon as the door was shut, Ichigo walked over to look out the window again. The showers of golden sparks were continuing to shoot in the air, one after another. They were mesmerizing, but terrifying at the same time. Ichigo wondered what they meant for her . . . for her kingdom . . . for Kish. She wanted, more than anything, to hear him tell her that this was all according to plan, angel attack and all.

* * *

Kish had never been so bored in his life. He had been sitting in the throne in the great hall for two hours. He had to sit perfectly still, silent, in an upright position, and keep his eyes open, fixed as various testaments of past kings were read to him and the spectators that filled the room. Various painters were painting his portrait. One canvas was particularly large. Kish guessed it was the one they would put in the gallery next to his father's portrait. The clothes he wore were heavy, and although they were made of fine material and were not at all uncomfortable, Kish had begun to sweat.

After what seemed like eternity, a man Kish recognized as one of the palace elders stepped forward, facing the crowd.

"And now, the crowning of the king. Traditionally this rite of passage is performed by the nearest relation to the king, but in this case, since His Majesty has no close family ties remaining, he has selected an alternative bearer for the crown."

Kish half expected he wouldn't be able to make it on time. After all, everything had happened so suddenly, what with this ceremony beginning at three in the morning. But they had summoned him to the castle and so he had came, dressed to a T as usual. Down the hallway Gato strode, carrying the crown on a black silk pillow. He walked as if he had been rehearsing this his whole life. His face was confident, almost smug, his eyes staring straight forward. Kish couldn't help but smirk. What a charmer.

Gato stopped a few feet from Kish. One of the elders approached Gato and took the pillow off of his hands, leaving Gato with the crown. Similar to the clasp on Kish's cape, the golden crown had a meticulously crafted, scaley texture, the front of it wrapping into two intertwining snakes with ruby-encrusted eyes. The snakes' heads dipped down low on the brow so that they would rest between the king's eyes, directly on the bridge of the nose. Kish rose from the throne, prompting everyone in the room except Gato to kneel. Kish stepped down the two steps in front of the throne before his feet lightly tapped the floor. He discreetly looked up at Gato, who was slightly taller than him. Gato made eye contact and gave him a subtle wink. Kish smiled and bowed his head. Then, slowly, deliberately, Gato lifted his hands and rested the crown on Kish's head, fitting it so that the snakes' heads fell between his eyes. He held his hands there, on the crown, for a few more seconds before he lifted them. As soon as he had, the room erupted in a massive roar that took Kish by surprise. That must have been the end of the ceremony part, Kish thought to himself. The elders and the scholars, however, looked miffed at the commotion. One of them stepped forward as Gato receded into the crowd. The elder raised his hands and immediately the crowd died down.

"Presenting His Majesty Kish, son of Kota, _KING _of the demons!"

The crowd again erupted in a roar, standing and cheering. Kish couldn't help but grin. These were his people now. His kingdom. His crown. Now, he was free to do what he pleased, as supreme ruler of his people.

Pie came and stood a few feet behind Kish.

"Kish," he said, his voice barely raising enough to sound over the crowd. Kish turned his head slightly to look at him. "Voit has the beacons at the ready outside. As soon as they open those doors at the end of the hall it's your queue to light them." Kish nodded and turned back to face the crowd. He noticed two guards pulling open the doors to the hall. Immediately Kish extended his hands to his sides, his swords appearing in his hands. The crowd went hushed as Kish extended his wings to lift himself above the crowd. He raised one arm, gripping his sword, and a blue bolt of lightning shot out the tip and sparked a coil that led to what Kish saw to be the series of beacons set out in the courtyard. Immediately the cord was alight, and a moment later a tremendous boom shook the halls, and then a screeching as fire lit up the sky. The crowd, having gone silent for a brief moment, resumed their loud cheers as soon as they saw the show. Kish touched his feet back to the ground, happy to have the attention diverted outside rather than on him. Pie came to stand next to him.

"You're supposed to walk over to the coil and light it with a torch, idiot," he muttered to Kish angrily.

"No one told me that!" Kish whined in protest. "I just improvised with something I thought looked cool! Besides, everyone loved it!" Pie shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh yeah, Pie, can I leave now?"

Pie shook his head. "All of the commoners have to leave, but all of the noblemen have the opportunity to come and shake your hand now, so you have to stay here." Kish groaned. He took one more glance outside before he remembered something.

"Pie, I have my first set of orders for you as a king," Kish said slyly. Pie rolled his eyes. Kish continued: "I need you to find Tart and Gato. They're both aware of the plan I have for recovering Ichigo, her two friends, and her parents. Now that I'm crowned, we need to get them here as soon as possible, because the longer we wait, the harder it's going to be to move Ichigo." His expression was solemn now, alert.

"I want you to handle the green-haired one since you and she are familiar, and the same goes for Tart and the small, monkey one. I'd be willing to bet that Ichigo is going to be heavily guarded, but those guards are likely going to be scrambling for some kind of explanation for these lights, so they're likely to be distracted enough to not notice if Ichigo goes missing. I need Gato to recover Ichigo—and it's very important that when he does, he tells her this phrase: 'the one who laid between you and me was Pollux'. Without it, she will not believe that I sent Gato and she won't leave." Pie nodded, mentally taking notes on Kish's words.

"Once Gato meets up with Ichigo, do not let him take her back here. Gato and Ichigo will then find the house of Ichigo's parents—I circled their house in a map on my desk—and they will only come with Gato then. Once all four are assembled, Gato must take them to my room. Please be sure that they all end up in the exact same room, the two servants included. If they are separated or get lost wandering the castle, things could go very, very wrong. Also, put Castor and Pollux in front of the door so no one gets in."

"Understood," Pie said. "I'll see to it immediately." And with that, Pie disappeared back into the crowd.

* * *

Lettuce was staring out her window, transfixed on the showers of sparks still bursting over the horizon to the west. Immediately, she identified the fire as being celebratory, a rare event. She was smart enough to know that this meant the time for her to leave was soon. Her eye briefly glanced towards the bag she kept in the corner of her small quarters. It was stuffed with everything she could think of bringing, minus clothes and food. Her eye fell back towards the window, when all of a sudden a shadowy mist rose out of the wall adjacent. She gasped and stepped back as a figure rose out of the mist. It was the demon from earlier. The one she had danced with. He looked at her now, searching her for an emotion.

"Please, do not fear," he said calmly. "The lights you see are for the crowning of Prince Kish as king. He has asked me to take you to the palace now. You'll be meeting your two friends there. They are being approached as we speak, and should arrive within minutes of you."

Lettuce, at first scared, furrowed her brow and nodded, clenching a fist.

"I understand." She turned around, grabbed her bag, and hesitated for a moment, looking around her room. Her eyes grew sad as she captured in her head the image of her humble abode. Then, she turned around and took Pie's extended hand.

"Hold your breath," Pie instructed. Lettuce took a deep breath and held it as she was engulfed in black smoke. Then, she was gone.

* * *

Pudding was sitting on her windowsill, staring wide-eyed at the fire show ahead of her. She had always been fascinated with fire and sparks, ever since she was a child. The bright, living nature of it was thrilling and unpredictable, which made Pudding that much more fascinated with it. She swung her legs to and fro into the open air beneath her as she watched in fascination. It didn't occur to her that the fireworks could mean something—she was simply thrilled with their appearance and refrained from questioning their origins.

Suddenly, she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. The wall beside her was being engulfed in black smoke. Rather than get off the windowsill, Pudding continued to watch curiously, sensing no danger. Then, a form came out of the smoke. Pudding recognized a familiar face.

"Tart!" she squealed, grinning. "What are you doing here, na no da?"

"Guess, you silly girl," he sneered. "I'm here to bring you back to the palace."

Pudding's eyes widened. "Tonight?" she said curiously. "But I only just heard I was leaving a few hours ago, na no da!"

"Well change of plans." Tart said. "Kish's father is dead and now Kish is the king. He wants us to move you guys as fast as we can since he's in control now."

Pudding understood, nodding. "Alright, na no da, let me grab my bag I packed!" She swung her legs back into her room, snatched up a small shoulder bag, and went back to the windowsill. "Are we gonna teleport, na no da? And am I gonna see my friends when I get there, na no da?"

"With all the questions you're asking they probably already beat us there," Tart sighed with a roll of his eyes. "Yes, we're teleporting. Take my hand and hold your breath if you don't wanna pass out."

"Okee dokee, na no da!" Pudding said, obviously thrilled with the new adventure of teleportation. She didn't glance back once as she took Tart's hand and heaved a huge breath, puffing up her cheeks and holding her nose. Then, as quickly as Tart came, they were gone.

* * *

Ichigo was still staring out the window, her mind reeling with the new information. The more she thought about it, the more worried she was about the angels' rumored surprise attack. If, in fact, the rumor was true, then Kish and his army could be hugely unprepared. Ichigo dearly hoped she was wrong. She thought again about Kish's letter. Did his crowning mean that tonight was the night? The one where they would be moved to the demon kingdom? Ichigo could only guess.

Her question was soon answered, consequently, when she spotted a familiar haze of black smoke appearing outside her window. She grinned and prepared herself to welcome Kish into her arms . . . however, the figure that rose out of the smoke was definitely not Kish. She recoiled in fear at the adult demon with long, green hair and a thin complexion staring at her.

"My lady," he started, tipping his head to her, "I apologize for the sudden intrusion. I didn't mean to frighten you." Ichigo stepped away from the window in fear.

"Who are you?" she whimpered, suddenly wishing the guards hadn't left.

"That doesn't matter," the man continued, taking a seat on her windowsill in order to continue speaking with Ichigo, who was backed up against her bedpost. "All that matters is I was sent here by Kish with specific instructions stating that you are to be taken back to the palace and you'll be meeting your friends there." Ichigo was confused now.

"Why didn't he come himself?" she asked anxiously. Gato smiled slightly.

"Pardon me for my rude correction, Your Highness, but Kish has just been crowned king and the ceremony is not yet complete. He cannot leave the palace while it continues. However, he found the time to request that I fetch you and your parents immediately."

"My . . . parents?" Ichigo said. "We're going to go see my parents?"

"They're coming back with us," Gato said. "And we're meeting your friends there. But for now, I need you to trust me and come with me to fetch your parents. If we stay here much longer I'll be discovered."

Ichigo swallowed, eyeing the figure ahead of her.

"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked with narrowed eyes. Gato sighed.

"Kish warned that you would be reluctant to leave with anyone except himself," he said. "He said that in the case you became suspicious, he told me to say to you the words 'the one that laid between you and me was Pollux', and that would help convince you that he sent you."

Ichigo's face visibly relaxed. This demon was telling the truth. The only ones who could know the meaning of that phrase—one describing the first time they met—was herself and Kish. What's more, Kish had known that Ichigo would stubbornly refuse to leave. In a way, she felt intellectually outdone.

"Okay, I'll come," Ichigo said. She grabbed a cloak from a peg near her closet and tossed it on. Then, she walked to her vanity, picked up her bag of belongings, and slung it over her shoulder. Gato extended his hand.

"Hold your-"

"Breath, I know," Ichigo muttered. Gato snickered to himself as he took Ichigo's outstretched hand. Ichigo held her breath and watched the lavish room disappear behind her as they vanished.

The pair reappeared in an alleyway unfamiliar to Ichigo. She felt a jolting thrill, a tense fear take over her as she realized that this was her first time being in the streets with the common people since she was a little girl. Gato silently led the way as Ichigo tossed the hood of her cloak over her head. She found that, although it was very early in the morning, a goodly amount of people had gathered outside their homes to watch the light show. Luckily for Gato, his cloak concealed his wings, and the two went unnoticed as they kept close to the sides of the buildings. Gato pulled out a piece of paper that looked like it was torn at the edges. Ichigo realized it was a map. Gato eyed the houses on the street until he stopped at a small, homely place that had a light on in the window, but no one standing outside. Gato glanced down at Ichigo, and she realized that she was about to see her real parents for the first time in over a decade. She let out a shaking breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Ready?" Gato asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ichigo murmured. Gato nodded and gave two swift knocks on the door.

There was an immediate answer. A gruff-looking man swung the door open and glared at Gato. He was wearing a night robe and looked like he had been up for a while, judging by his alertness. He opened his mouth to speak, but his gaze fell upon Ichigo, who was looking at him in awe.

Shintaro's face softened. "Ichigo?" he asked slowly. "Do you know who I am?"

Ichigo, eyes watering, nodded. "You're my father."

Shintaro smiled and opened his arms. Ichigo, eyes filled with tears, welcomed his warm embrace, treasuring a vague sense of familiarity that washed over her. Shintaro squeezed her tight.

"Dad," Ichigo said, treasuring the words like gold, "We're going to leave now. I need you to find mom and get your things." Shintaro didn't respond, continuing to embrace Ichigo.

"I'm so glad you remember," he said gruffly. Ichigo realized he was crying. They sat in silence for a little while before Shintaro finally let his daughter out of his embrace. His whole face was red, and his eyes were puffy from crying. Ichigo nodded to him, glancing into the house.  
"I'll get your mother," he said, pausing at the strangeness in his words. "And our bags. Please, come in. You and your . . . friend." He eyed Gato warily. Gato smiled a friendly smile and tipped his head.

"Gato, friend of Kish. Pleased to be of your acquaintance," he said. Shintaro mostly ignored him, putting an arm around Ichigo's shoulder as he led her into the house.

"Have a seat," he told Ichigo, gesturing to the homely couch. "I'll be right back." He paused, seemingly hesitant to leave. But he did, with one last glance back towards Ichigo, and took off in what could almost be considered a sprint down the short hall.

Ichigo heard muffled yelling before a small-framed woman rounded the corner in a nightgown. She froze when she saw Ichigo sitting there on the couch. Ichigo smiled warmly, her eyes already red and teary.

"Hi Mom," she said, her voice cracking slightly. Sakura burst into sobs immediately, rushing over to Ichigo, who stood and allowed herself to be swept up into an embrace. Ichigo was shocked at how similar she looked to her mother—they were nearly the same person, one aged, one not. Now, her mother held Ichigo tightly against her, crying into her shoulder.

"Ichigo, my daughter . . ." she sobbed, "My dear! I mi-missed you so much!" Ichigo, face wet with tears, nuzzled her face into her mother's hair.

"I missed you too, Mom." It was a few more minutes before Sakura had calmed enough to release Ichigo from her grip, and messily wipe the tears from her face.

"Now is the time to leave, isn't it?" she asked Ichigo. Ichigo nodded.

"We're going to be able to see each other all the time now," Ichigo said encouragingly. "In a very nice place with lots of provisions and nice people. It will be good, Mom, it really will."

"I know, I know," Sakura said with a sigh. "I've just become to attached to this place I . . . I just don't know if I'll be able to let it go." Ichigo understood the attachment, placing a reassuring hand on her mother's shoulder. She found it odd that she was the one, now, who was comforting her mother.

"The sooner we leave, the easier this will be," Ichigo assured her, putting on her bravest face possible. "Home is where your family is, right?"

Sakura nodded, her lip beginning to quiver again. Ichigo worried she had struck another nerve. She smiled at her mom confidently. "Let's go, Mom," she nodded to Shintaro, adding, " . . . Dad." Shintaro nodded.

"I have our things ready to go," he said, indicating to a stack of pre-prepared sacks and bags piled in a heap. Ichigo noticed Gato grimacing out of the corner of his eye. Ichigo immediately realized why—they were teleporting with all of those bags. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Ok, guys, I need to ask you a big favor," Ichigo said. "We need to be holding each one of those bags when we teleport, because that's the only way we'll be able to get back. I need both of you to carry as much as possible, whether it be in your arms, on your backs, whatever. Nothing can be loosely held." Shintaro and Sakura both looked at each other worriedly.

"I'd love to be of assistance as well," Gato said, standing from the couch.

"Okay, let's saddle up then!" Shintaro said loudly, grabbing the largest bag from the pile. Gato, Ichigo, and Sakura all began to pick up bags, the two men carrying the heaviest ones. The four of them looked like pack mules with all of the luggage on them. Shintaro grunted from the weight.

"Ok, Nato!" he yelled, glaring at Gato, who ignored the mispronunciation of his name, "Let's get going before I collapse here!"

Gato politely nodded and said, "Everyone, I need you to hold each other's hands so we form a circle!" They did so, Ichigo's parents both taking either one of Gato's hands, with Ichigo between them. "Now hold your breath!" Gato further instructed. They all gasped for one last breath of air, before the room around them was engulfed in smoke. Then, the family, Gato, and all of the luggage disappeared.

* * *

_[A.N. -_  
_Things start to get really intense after this chapter, as I'm sure you can tell. I apologize if the reuniting scene between Ichigo and her parents was terrible-those kind of moments aren't my strength. _  
_On another note, what in the world, guys? I had a LOT of you view this story, read it all the way through, favorite it and add it to your alerts...but there was a serious lack of reviews! Guys, I really like it when I hear feedback from you! I don't mind if it's something simple like "Looks great! Keep it up!" or "Man, that chapter sucked!", as long as I get to hear what you guys think about it. So don't be shy! Please review! Tell me how I'm doing so far!]_


	18. RELINQUO::part 2

Immediately after Ichigo and her family arrived in Kish's room, Ichigo was brought back to that fateful day those many months ago. The room smelled, felt, looked nearly identical. She looked around to find Lettuce and Pudding already waiting for her, Lettuce sitting patiently on the edge of Kish's bed while Pudding jumped up and down on the mattress. Ichigo grinned.

"You beat us here!" Ichigo exclaimed. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting!"

Lettuce shook her head. "We've only been here for about fifteen minutes. I hear it's going to be a while longer before we'll be able to get settled in." She nodded towards Pie, who stood by the doorway with Castor and Pollux at his side. "Pie told me that Kish is still seeing some of the nobleman as part of the crowning, so he won't be able to accompany us until he is finished." Castor and Pollux eyed Ichigo. She nodded towards them knowingly. Ichigo's parents, on the other hand, looked frightened and uncomfortable, Shinarto placing a comforting arm around Sakura's shoulder. Ichigo took note of their behavior. She turned to Lettuce and Pudding.

"Lettuce, Pudding, these are my mom and dad. Dad, Mom, these are my two best friends, Lettuce and Pudding." Sakura extended her hand towards the seated Lettuce politely.

"Pleased to meet you." Her voice was high and light, indicating her unshakable fear. Lettuce smiled and took Sakura's hand, shaking to warmly. Pudding stuck her hand out towards Sakura.

"I'm Pudding, na no da!" she proclaimed. "You look just like Ichigo, na no da!" Sakura giggled.

"Yes, we do look very similar, don't we?" she said.

Shintaro remained silent, keeping an arm around Sakura's shoulder and glaring in Pie's direction. Gato sensed the tension in the room and excused himself, Pie opening the door for him and quickly closing it behind.

Ichigo looked over at Pie, who raised an eyebrow at her. She looked at him quizzically. She had seen him once before, at the ball, but did not know his name.

"I see I am the stranger in the room now," Pie said. "My name is Pie. I'm Kish's head advisor, and I'm overseeing this operation."

"Nice to meet you formally," Ichigo said, her voice remaining stoic.

"Nevermind you," Shintaro grunted, "What's up with those giant . . . cougar panther things! Ugh! Can they speak? Why aren't they trying to eat us! Their eyes are giving me the creeps!"

All eyes fell on Castor and Pollux, who remained unmoved. Pollux looked towards Castor and gave a low growl. Ichigo understood.

"I'm sure all of you know this by now, but I understand cats, including these ones," Ichigo said, nodding towards the cats. "I've met Castor and Pollux before and I can assure you that you're safe. They are very tame. And they're probably just here for security purposes, right?" Ichigo looked to Pie.

Pie nodded. "You are correct. They are to keep any unwanted persons out of the room."

"And keep us from leaving," Shintaro muttered, still not accustomed to having large beasts in the room with him. Pie remained still, narrowing his eyes slightly.

_Keep us from leaving,_ Ichigo thought to herself. Then, all of a sudden, she remembered. The guards in her room had been talking about a possible surprise attack from the angels. She turned, wide-eyed towards Pie.

"Pie," she said, "When the guards in my room saw the lights, they were escorted by two others who told them that the lights were "a sign" and that they were supposed to assemble as backup for something bigger! They said they had heard the angels were meaning to attack at the sign of these lights! Please tell me you know this already, Pie."

Pie stood still, his eyes glassing over, not speaking a word.

"I have to go," he said suddenly. "Do not leave this room until you are told to do so, is that clear?"

"Wait!" Ichigo cried, "Does that mean you didn't know about this battle? What's going to happen now?"

She received no answer as Pie shut the door behind him. She heard quick footsteps down the hall, indicating Pie was in a hurry. Ichigo walked over to the bed next to Lettuce and took a seat, her face frozen in fear. Lettuce took Ichigo's hand in her hands. Pudding scooted closer to Ichigo, seated on the other side of her. The room was quiet as Shintaro took a chair from the desk and pulled it out for Sakura to sit on. Then, he began to pace.

Ichigo lifted her eyes to look at Castor and Pollux, both of whom were looking worriedly at each other. She wasn't sure how she could tell they were worried. She just knew, mostly judging by the look in their human-like eyes.

"Castor," she said in low tones, "Do you know what's going on?" Castor responded in low growls.

_Yes and no. I can assure you that we had no warning of any such attack, but what I do know is that the angels have us figured out. They will be taking us completely by surprise, and at one of the worst moments, if they attack now. Kish was crowned less than an hour ago, and he is not yet used to the idea of commanding the whole imperial army. _

Pollux began to speak now, his tone matching that of Castor.

_ Plus, the bulk of his soldiers have probably had the first drink by now, since most of them left with the commoners after the actual crowning part of the ceremony, and went on to the party. Although they may not appear intoxicated now, they will be once they enter a battlefield. The alcohol would have taken effect on their nerves by then._

"But I don't even know if this is all true!" Ichigo said, distraught. "This may all be a big rumor that I happened to hear from a couple of dumb guards!"

_Nevertheless, we need to prepare for the worst, _Castor said. _And this is definitely the worst._

Ichigo groaned, running her hands through her hair. "This is awful," she muttered.

"You're telling me," Shintaro said, continuing to pace. "As soon as we switch sides, we end up on the wrong one."

_ You do not understand. _Pollux spoke up, his eyes following Shintaro's pacing form. Ichigo listened closely so she could translate. _You think this kingdom is doomed, and it's not. Even if the worst case scenario comes true and we do have a surprise attack from the angels, we are still capable of defending ourselves from complete takeover. You underestimate our power because you see us as an evil race destined to be defeated in time._

"Dad," Ichigo said. "Pollux was speaking to you. I'm going to translate what he said." Shintaro stopped his pacing to look at Ichigo sternly and nod.

"He told you that although you think this attack, which may or may not be true, is the end of this kingdom, it will not be the end because the people here are capable of defending themselves from complete takeover. He said that you underestimate the power of the demons because you see them as an evil race that will eventually be defeated."

"Well tell Pollux-" Shintaro started, his face growing red.

"Dad," Ichigo interrupted, "He can understand you." Shintaro nodded and looked towards the cats.

"Which one is Pollux?" he grunted.

"The blue-eyed one," Ichigo said, inwardly proud of herself for being able to tell the two apart.

"Well Pollux," Shintaro said, glaring at the cat. "I've just been moved from a house I have lived in for over half of my life so I can come live in a strange place I consider enemy territory! I'm feeling more than a little insecure, and I have every right to be scared!"

_I know, _Pollux growled. _And I respect that. I just need you to stay calm. Please._

Shintaro looked angry at first. "Is he threatening me? Those growls sound too menacing to be friendly!"

"No," Ichigo said, "That's just how he communicates. He said he understands and he wants you to stay calm." Shintaro grunted.

"Fine."  
He resumed his pacing, and Pollux laid on the ground. Castor continued to sit on his haunches, alert. Ichigo noticed his behavior.

"Castor," she said in hushed tones, "What is it?"

Castor hung his head. _I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about all of this._

"I think we all do," Ichigo replied.

"Do what, na no da?" Pudding asked, speaking up for the first time in a few minutes, a rare feat for her.

"I think we all have a bad feeling about all of this," Ichigo replied.

Suddenly, they all heard heavy footsteps traveling in the hall outside, towards the door in a sprint. Castor and Pollux rose to the ready, facing the door in a crouched position, ready to spring. The door swung open and Kish rushed in, barely managing to fit himself through the doorway in his robes and cape. His eyes were maniac. Everyone in the room froze out of fear of Kish's appearance in full makeup and dress. Even Ichigo was scared stiff.

"Ichigo," Kish said, breathless. "Ichigo. I need you. To tell me. Exactly what those guards said. EXACTLY."

For a moment, Ichigo was silent, trying to find her words. She was mesmerized at Kish's appearance and found it hard to speak.

"Kish, I . . ." she started, choking on her words again. She closed her eyes, took a long breath, opened them, and started again. "I'll do my best to remember what they said. Keep in mind this is only what I overheard."

"Fair enough," Kish replied, glancing around at the four strangers in his room.

"There were two guards outside my window," Ichigo started, closing her eyes once more in order to picture the scene in her head. "There were two more outside my door. As soon as the lights went off, I rushed to the window to ask the guards there what was happening. Neither of them knew." Kish narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms and listening.

"Then, all of a sudden, the two guards from outside . . . at least, I think it was the two guards outside . . . they burst into my room and told the first two guards that they should have known that the lights were 'the signal'. The window guards, still, had no idea about any of this. The door guards told them that they were supposed to assemble in the courtyard when they saw those lights."

"Wait," Kish interrupted. Ichigo opened her eyes. "Did they indicate who they received these orders from?"

Ichigo shook her head. "No, they didn't."

"Were these orders recent?" he asked.

"I don't know," Ichigo said. "Although I get the feeling that they were, because the guards at the window still didn't know about it. If it was a longstanding rule, they would have heard it when they were first trained."

"Right," Kish muttered. "So someone was on to the fact that my father was sick, and they . . . or someone else . . . knew that the lights would appear soon after he was dead."

"But how could they know that? About the lights?" Ichigo asked.

"It's basically in the history books," Kish said, lowering his eyes. "We've been using the same ceremony for hundreds of years. Of course someone would sense a pattern and write it down."

Ichigo grew silent. Kish was quiet for a moment too, before saying, "Keep going. What happened after the guards said they were supposed to assemble?"

"Well that's when the same guards—the door ones—said that they heard the angels might be planning an attack on the same night as the lights, and the human guards were to serve as backups," Ichigo murmured.

"That's exactly what they said," Kish asked in a statement, staring Ichigo dead in the eye. "Exactly."

"I think so," Ichigo said after a slight hesitation. "It's not word for word, but that's the best I can remember."

Kish nodded, sighing heavily and blowing a stray bit of hair out of his eye. His eyes traveled to Shintaro and Sakura, who were staring at him steadily.

"Mr. and Mrs. Momomiya," he said, respectfully. "I apologize for the . . . _sudden_ nature of all of this. My intention was to transition much more smoothly than this."

"I figured as much," Shintaro grunted. "No one plans to get their ass kicked."

Ichigo, aware of Kish's quick temper, saw the flare in his eye and panicked. However, Kish took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and said, "True, but we could have foreseen something like this happening. That's why I owe you an apology."

"You sure as hell do," Shintaro growled. "But more than that, you owe me the security of knowing my daughter is safe."

"I can assure you that this is the safest place she could be right now," Kish muttered. "Much safer than she was back home. Trust me. I've thought this through."

"You just told me that you wish you had thought this through _more_," Shintaro argued. "How can I trust you with my daughter when I know you've already made one fatal mistake?"

"The mistake isn't fatal," Kish said through his teeth, his eyes narrowing. "We don't even know for sure that the attack is going to take place, and if it does, I will make sure we are prepared to defend the kingdom and everyone in it—including, and especially, your daughter."

He paused, his eyes flicking between Shintaro and Ichigo. Then he spoke while glowering at the floor. "I have to go now. Please, whatever you do, don't leave this room. That goes for all of you. The only people who are allowed to escort you out for any reason are Pie, Gato and I. Hopefully I will be returning shortly."

He turned on his heel and took a step towards the door, but stopped to look behind him at Ichigo. "Ichigo, come with me. I need to speak with you."

Ichigo noted that his disposition was strange, likely due to the stress so heavily heaped on him and the presence of Ichigo's parents. She nodded nevertheless, Shintaro letting out an angry grunt. Ichigo walked behind Kish as he stepped out of the room and into the empty hall, shutting the door behind him.

Kish looked up and down the hall to make sure it was clear before he spoke in low tones.

"Ichigo, I'm sorry everything is getting screwed up. I wish there was something more I could do, but for now I'll need you to stay undercover with the rest of your family and friends. I know that when the humans discover you're missing, they will probably come looking for you along with the angels, even if this battle never occurs." Ichigo cast her eyes to the floor. "I realize that my room is not the best place to have you stay for now since Prince Masaya knows where it is, but I'll make sure to have defense set up outside the room to keep out anyone who wants in."

Ichigo nodded, still in silence. Kish, noticing her quietness, took her in his arms and folded her slight frame into him. She habitually buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his body. Again, she heard the fast, pounding rhythm of his heart that sounded stronger and faster than any she had ever heard.

"I'm scared you'll die," she murmured softly. Kish reached a hand up to stroke her hair.

"Shh . . . it'll be okay, Ichigo. I promise," Kish soothed. "Besides, we don't even know if there will be a battle anyway. Even if there is, I'll be able to handle myself. You'll see."

"How do you know?" Ichigo posed the simple question.

"Because I know my own strength," Kish responded. "And I know the strength of my armies. And when you have a lot on the line, it's easy to find the courage to fight for it. Since I have you to fight for . . . well, I'll be out there kicking a whole lot of angel ass."

Ichigo smirked. She released Kish from her grip and smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything."

"No, I should be the one thanking you," Kish said, delicately running his fingers down the side of Ichigo's face. "For giving me happiness I can't even begin to explain."

"I should say the same about you," Ichigo murmured. She got up on her tip toes and gave Kish a quick peck on the lips. He smirked.

"Kitten, you've got this black stuff on your lips-"

"I don't care."

Kish raised his eyebrows as Ichigo wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned towards him to affectionately press her lips to his, tilting her head to the side so she could slide her tongue along his. Kish squeezed Ichigo more tightly than before, welcoming the affection with his own kisses. Ichigo broke her lips from his and slowly parted from him, staring transfixed into his eyes. Kish began to snicker.

"Ichigo . . . your face . . ."

Ichigo lifted her arm and wiped as much of the black paint off of her face as she could manage. Kish just smiled and kept his arms wrapped around her. He sighed.

"I have to go."

"Don't go."

"I wish I could stay."

"Then stay."

Kish smiled. Ichigo mimicked his facial expression, embracing Kish in yet another hug.

"Be safe," she whispered. "Just remember, you've got to make it back alive. Cause if you do, we'll have a night where it will be just you and me. Alone. In your room. In the dark. So you have to come back, alright?"

Ichigo felt a slight shake running up Kish's body as she said the words. Kish let out a short breath of air on her head.

"Well god damn Ichigo, now I'll be distracted."

"I prefer 'motivated'." She let go of Kish and smiled up at him. "Now get going, Your Majesty."

"But I-"

Kish's words were cut off when there was a loud sound of crashing in the floor below him, and screaming erupted from inside of the castle. A tremendous whooshing and yelling could be faintly heard from outside the castle walls. The sudden noises were startling. Teleportation. Angels. And by the sound of the whooshing of wings, there were a lot of them.

Kish's first instinct was to pull Ichigo close to him and yank open the door to his room.

"Stay. I'll be back," he murmured into her ear before he was gone in a flurry, the door slamming behind him. And just like that he was gone.

"So it is happening," Lettuce whispered, wide-eyed, as she listened to the sound of swords being drawn outside. "It wasn't a rumor."

"It's okay," Ichigo said, partially reassuring herself, "Kish and the others will know what to do."

_I sure as hell hope so, _Castor growled.

This time, Ichigo didn't bother to translate.

* * *

_A.N. -_

_**Relinquo** - "to abandon"_


	19. RELINQUO::part 3

"No, no, no, no, NO! This can't be happening!" Kish yelled aloud as he sprinted down the stairs, assessing the castle as he went. The servants and noblemen were all running in the opposite direction, seeking shelter further up in the castle; some were screaming, some crying. Kish rounded a corner and almost smacked directly into Pie.

"Kish!" Pie yelled, his eyes wide. "They're outside! Prince Masaya is at the front lines, demanding to speak with you! There must be thousands of them, and their swords are all drawn!"

Kish had never seen Pie so panicked. "Are all of the men at arms and prepared?"

"To an extent," Pie said, glancing around worriedly. "Some of them have been drinking."

"Some?"

"Most. Most of them have been drinking."

"Shit."

"Kish, you need to get out there right now," Pie said, jerking his head in the direction of the great hall. "Just stall if you can. I'll do my best to assemble the men and prepare them for immediate battle."

"Understood," Kish replied. He placed a comforting hand on Pie's shoulder. "It's been worse, right?"

"It's been worse," Pie agreed. "Now go."

Kish turned on his heel and walked quickly to the doors leading out of the great hall. There was already a posse of guards stationed there, weapons drawn, eyes locked with a cloud of angels, hovering twenty feet above the courtyard. The soldiers parted as Kish marched through, summoning both of his sais as he went. Knocking his jaw back and forth, he scowled up at Masaya, who stared down at him from the front of the lines. Masaya did not have his sword drawn. Kish only gripped his sais tighter.

Not apt to being looked down upon, Kish propelled himself off the ground with a swoop of his bat-like wings and stayed poised at eye level with Masaya.

"Surprise, surprise," Kish drawled, folding his hands behind his back. "Come to crash my party, Masaya? You really should give prior notice for this sort of thing. It's only proper. Where's daddy? Shouldn't he be here too?"

"I've come to offer a compromise," Masaya said, ignoring Kish's question. "Because we angels are a merciful people, we are standing before you with an offer for peace."

"Oh?" Kish said, raising an eyebrow. "Peace, you say? My, my, could this be a gift to me for my crowning? How considerate."

Masaya looked miffed. His tone didn't change as he continued: "Since you have been newly crowned king, we are offering you the chance to surrender to us and end the fighting!"

Kish's face spread into a grin before he started to laugh. He sighed, gave out a final snort, and said, "How dense do you think I am? Surrender? To _you_? No good king would do that to his people, angel or otherwise! We will fight, and we will win until you decide you are finished with your power-hungry tirade!"

Masaya's eyes narrowed. "So be it." He drew his sword, and Kish immediately took a battle stance. "Kish, my men and I will not attack your civilians. Once more I remind you, we are a merciful people, and do not wish for the fighting to continue."

Kish rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Whatever you say, pretty boy." Kish reached a hand to his neck and tugged open the clasp to his cloak, letting the heavy garment fall to the ground below. His hand, still clasping one of his sais, immediately went to the air. Before anyone had time to react, the air around was lit up in blinding, white light, a tremendous crash sounding in the air. When the light was gone, Masaya saw Kish was standing in front of a massive force of demon soldiers, all with their swords drawn. He barely had time to look behind him and see that lightning had struck a few dozen of his soldiers dead.

"GET EM!" Kish screamed, rushing forward. His men all yelled with him as the angels and demons collided with the crashing of swords and yelling of thousands. The whole battle was in the air—every demon and angel were staying above ground, some taking the battle further off the ground. It was a cloud of wings and swords, the indication of a fatality being a body plummeting towards the ground.

Kish was at the top of his game. Every angel soldier that came within a twenty foot radius was struck down with a lightning strike from Kish's sais. Bodies were falling all around him, and when one of the angels tried to teleport to Kish from behind, they were stabbed in the gut by one of the long, sharp swords Kish wielded. Kish knew that if this battle was to be successful, there needed to be an enormous amount of angel casualties in the beginning, before the alcohol would fully kick in to the systems of Kish's soldiers. Some of them were already drunk, and Kish could tell by their fighting. But the vast majority of them were still fighting like sober men, and those were the ones Kish was counting on to push their hardest at the beginning of the battle.

The demon soldiers had a strength in numbers. They seemed to outnumber the angels 3:1. Masaya noticed this, seeing Kish rapidly striking down his men as they tried to finish him. He called to his nearest officer, brandishing his sword to cut down a few demons as the officer approached.

"What is it?" the officer yelled over the commotion.

"Kish is too strong," Masaya yelled back, taking another swing at a demon soldier. "His control over lightning is too much of an advantage! I need you to do what you can to disarm him!"

"But that won't help!" the officer yelled back, taking his turn to teleport behind an ambushing demon and behead him. "He doesn't need to have his swords in order to generate electricity!"

"I know!" Masaya yelled. "But we need him to take out his trump card! He is able to use his eyes as electrified whips, and while he's using them, he's completely blind! If we can force him to use those whips, and then we remove those whips, he's completely at our mercy!"

"Brilliant!" the officer screamed back, taking a swing upward at another demon. "You continue to impress me, Your Highness! How many should I send over to disarm him?"

"As many as you can!" Masaya replied. "And whatever you do, don't let any of our men touch those whips! They're very dangerous and cause instant death to the touch!"

"Well then how do we recover them?" the officer screamed, his sword connecting with that of yet another demon. "If we can't touch them, this whole mission is useless!"

"Find a container that won't transmit the electricity, like a wooden box or something, and as soon as he drops the whips, catch them in that container!" Masaya yelled. "I don't care how you do it, just get those whips and this battle is over!"

"Understood, Your Highness!" the officer called. And just like that he disappeared back into the chaos of the battle.

* * *

Everyone inside of Kish's room was crowded by the windows, listening in to the sounds of the battle, trying to make out what was going on. Every time a crash of lightning was heard, they knew it was Kish striking down an unknown number of soldiers. To Ichigo, the sound of thunder was the only assurance she had that Kish was still alive. The blood-curdling screams and sounds of weapons clashing were loud, but none of the combat was close to the window, which faced north, while the battle was taking place on the east side of the castle.

The room was silent. Ichigo and her mother were sitting on one end of the bed, Sakura's arm wrapped comfortingly around her daughter's shoulders. They both watched the closed, wooden shudders of the window, listening in on the commotion. Pudding and Lettuce stood on either side of the window, leaning up against the wall, both staring at the floor. Pudding would occasionally perk up her head at a particularly unusual sound, but she was strangely quiet the entire time. Shintaro had resumed his pacing, taking long pauses by the window to stare at its closed shudders. It had been about ten minutes before Castor raised his head from his paws.

_Someone's coming, _Ichigo heard him say. Pollux rose from his laying position, mimicking Castor's alert stance, glaring at the door. The footsteps were light, quick, possibly that of a woman's. As they approached the door, Pollux sank into a crouch. The door opened quickly, and Pollux barely had time to growl menacingly, and Castor to use his body weight to slam the door closed again.

"Who is it?" Ichigo asked worriedly.

_That irritating magician, _Castor growled. _What the hell is he doing here?_

"Alright, kitties, I know Kish put you there but I need you to open up!" called the voice on the other side of the door. Ichigo could tell it belonged to an old man. "Kish is in dire trouble and he needs that girl to help him!"

Ichigo froze, her eyes widened. She'd been found out. No one in the room said anything, everyone staring at the door in shock.

"I know you're in there, princess," the voice continued. "You see, I'm a magician. I can read bits and pieces of the future of this country, and I know that you are the key to keeping Kish alive to see another day! I saw you in a vision, and I know you're carrying the vial that will save his life!"

_The vial, the vial . . . _Ichigo thought, racking her brain. Then she remembered. She was indeed carrying a vial—it contained the elixir that scrambled human genetics to give them bird genetics temporarily. _Why would that save Kish's life?_

"What do I do?" Ichigo whispered to Castor and Pollux. "He's right about the vial." They looked at each other, then back at Ichigo.

_I think we should let him in, _Pollux said. _He seems harmless._

_ Besides, we'll just take him out if he tries anything malicious, _Castor added.

Ichigo nodded and turned to address the rest of the people in the room.

"We're gonna let him in. Castor is ready to kill if he does anything drastic." Everyone looked at each other, all with worried looks on their faces.

"It might save Kish's life," Lettuce said thoughtfully. "We need to take the risk."

Ichigo nodded in agreement, then turned to Pollux, who was seated in front of the door, blocking any entrance. Pollux slowly shifted his weight away from the doorframe, lifting his paw to pull down the handle to the door and allow a tall, skinny man to enter.

He was old, as Ichigo had expected, and dressed in ancient-looking robes that were uncommon for both angels and demons alike. His small demon wings gave away his race, however, and Ichigo couldn't help but feel scared of him as he skittered into the room.

"Name's Voit the Fantastic," the old man said. "My apologies for not giving a proper introduction, Your Highness, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Where's the elixir?"

"In my bag," Ichigo replied, stooping down to pick up her satchel. She stuck her hand in and dug around until she felt the smooth glass in her hand and pulled out the vial. Voit nodded.

"Yup, that's it alright. Makes you grow wings?"

"Well no, not really, it just scrambles human genetics to make them temporarily like a bird's," Ichigo replied, turning the vial over in her hands. "It's not permanent, and as far as I know, it's only for human use, so I don't see what Kish could do with it."

"To be honest, I don't know exactly how it works either," Voit replied. "I have a similar elixir I've been brewing for quite some time now, but it's still not perfectly adapted for demons. Nevertheless, I saw in my vision that this would be what Kish needs, so we have no choice but to administer it."

"But why?" Ichigo asked, growing more confused by the minute. "Why does he need bird genetics to begin with?" Voit's face seemed to droop, his eyes cast to the floor. He said nothing. Ichigo's eyes widened. She understood.

"They're going to cut off his wings."

Voit made eye contact with her, his lips narrowing into a thin line. Ichigo knew she was right, and immediately panicked, confused tears began forming in her eyes, her breath growing quicker.

"Oh god . . ." she whimpered. "Oh my god, _no! He's going to die from blood loss!" _

"That's why I need you to go, and go NOW," Voit said, punctuating his sentence with a loud tone.

"Why me?" Ichigo cried, more panicked than before. "Why can't you send someone stronger, someone who knows how to fight?"

"Because they have the chance of being killed in the commotion!" Voit said. "No angel in their right mind will lay a finger on you, because everyone and their kid knows who you are, and can tell you're no demon." Voit turned to the two huge cats sitting on the floor, who were both looking at each other in panic. "I need one of you to accompany Ichigo. She'll get their faster if she gets on your back."

_I will go, _Castor said.

_I'll go too, _Pollux added. Ichigo looked around the room and saw what she recognized to be Kish's old cloak hanging from one of the bedposts. She picked it up and threw it over her shoulders.

"Whatever you do, do NOT put the hood on that cloak!" Voit reminded her. "We need the angels to be aware that you are not the enemy." Ichigo nodded, letting the hood fall from her head.

Shintaro came up behind Ichigo and placed a hand on her shoulder. He looked down at her sternly.

"Ichigo, be safe."

He said it with a stern voice, but Ichigo could hear the concern in it. Sakura rose from the bed and embraced Ichigo, stroking her hair softly.

"Come back soon, okay?" she said quietly. "I don't want to lose you again."

"I'll be alright, mom," Ichigo murmured into her mom's shoulder. She released Sakura and gave her a reassuring smile. Then, clutching the glass vial tighter in her fist, she turned to Castor and said, "Ready?"

_We've no time to lose, _Castor replied. _Get on my back._

Ichigo complied, stepping over Castor and sitting on his back, curling her arms loosely around his neck. And just like that, Castor was out the door in a sprint, with Pollux following close behind.

* * *

Kish was exhausted. His body ached from over-exertion, and the angels did not stop coming. He had deducted by now that there were specific orders to attack him especially. Most of the attacks were aimed at damaging his wrists. Kish had already dropped one sword. He was fighting with a single one of his sais, most of his energy already depleted from his constant shower of lightning bolts. He was reduced to mostly fighting hand-to-hand. Other demon soldiers were coming to his aid, which he was thankful for. But every other one was struck down before his eyes due to a clumsy error in their attacks. The alcohol from an hour before was taking effect. Kish remained hopeful, though, because the number of angels had thinned considerably. There had to be only a few hundred left. But they were not surrendering or retreating. They only continued to target him.

Kish barely had time to get out of the way before a dagger came whizzing by, striking Kish cleanly across his fingertips. Kish instinctively cringed, his hand instantly beginning to drip black blood. The second sai dropped to the ground. Kish knew what he had to do.

Rising higher into the sky in order to distance himself momentarily, he mustered the strength to form a blue ball of electricity, which he fed into his forehead as he had done many times before in his training with Pie. His eyes glowed, and Kish wasted no time in yanking the long, golden whips from his eye sockets.

The result threw Kish into a panic. The noises from the battle around him were too loud for him to concentrate on any one figure approaching him, so he had to resort to swinging his whips around wildly, hoping to contact whoever stood in his way. And contact he made—he heard the screams of what sounded like half a dozen angels going down in his first swing. They were surrounding him in larger numbers than before, and Kish knew that none of his soldiers would dare to come near him to help him now, what with him swinging the whips in wild, uncontrolled directions. He knew he was alone in the fight if he were to use the unpredictable, deadly weapons.

_Concentrate_, Kish said to himself, _As long as you keep encircling yourself with these whips, no one will get near you and you can easily take out a hundred of these guys as long as you can make contact with several angels at each swing._

At first, Kish's strategy seemed to work. He was able to strike down several angels with one movement, as long as he kept his swings erratic and unpredictable. Not a single angel had touched him since he had drawn his whips. It was a matter of minutes before Kish noticed that he was no longer making contact with any angels, and the battlefield had quieted down significantly. This made him even more anxious, bracing himself for something to happen. He couldn't have hit them all, so why did they stop attacking him so suddenly?

Kish's momentary hesitation at the quiet nature of the angels was enough for Masaya to teleport so he was inches from Kish's back, and quickly brandish his sword across Kish's wrists. The result were two deep gashes sliced cleanly through the veins leading to Kish's hands. He let out a blood-curdling scream and dropped the whips. As they came sailing down through the air, the angel officer from before was waiting with a wooden crate, scrambling to catch the two whips. At the same moment, Masaya took hold of Kish's shoulders and pushed him down towards the ground, slamming him into the stone walkway beneath them. Kish let out another scream, cringing from the impact. Masaya had his knees dug into Kish's legs and his hands on his throat, pinning him to the ground.

"FUCKING HELL!" Kish shrieked, hissing from the pain. Masaya raised a sword above Kish.

"I'm giving you one last chance!" Masaya yelled. "Surrender to me!"

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" Kish screamed, trying to push himself up off the ground. He knew that if he tried to teleport anywhere, Masaya and his soldiers would just come with him. He was trapped.

"Fine! Just remember, this is what you chose!" Masaya yelled. Then, still keeping one hand on Kish's throat, Masaya brought his sword down to meet Kish's right wing with a tremendous blow. There was a crack of bone shattering, and Masaya found himself splattered with black blood. The scream that came out of Kish was deafening. Masaya finished the job by slicing through the rubbery texture of Kish's wing, leaving only a nub where the wing used to be. A pool of black blood was quickly collecting around Kish's back, where he lay writhing in pain. The fire that pulsed through his veins was unbearable, every fiber of his being _screaming_ to make the pain stop. He felt his consciousness leaving him as he struggled to focus on the setting around him, still without sight, his body wishing he was dead instead of being left alive to suffer.

* * *

Ichigo, Castor, and Pollux traveled through the courtyards as fast as they could. Bodies were raining down on them in seemingly random moments. The ground was already littered with them—angel and demon alike. Ichigo tried not to look at the bodies on the ground. Some of them were missing limbs. Some had their entrails hanging out. Ichigo just stared straight ahead, gripping Castor tightly as he dashed to where he saw Kish was fighting in the air. Pollux acted as the lookout for falling bodies.

_Left! _He roared. They made a sharp turn left and narrowly missed an angel body that hit the ground next to them. Ichigo continued to stare straight ahead, not daring to look at the freshly killed angel. She looked above at the cloud of chaos above them. She could easily spot Kish in the chaos. He was completely encircled by angels, and seemed to be losing steam. He had taken out his whips now. Ichigo could only guess that he had lost his sais. Grimacing, she realized that his blindness was likely to be his downfall.

"Pollux!" Ichigo yelled. "Kish is using his whips! His sais must be gone! Can you find them? He's going to need them to defend himself after I administer the elixir!"

_Of course! _Pollux roared back. _They're likely to be directly beneath him, so as soon as we get near him, I'll start looking!_

_We're getting close! _Castor interrupted. They were weaving through houses in the surrounding town by now. _I'm going to try and get you on the roof once we arrive!_

"Okay!" Ichigo yelled back.

_Right! _Pollux yelled. They all moved off to the right, this time avoiding a falling demon body. Ichigo continued to stare ahead, still clutching the vial in her fist.

Glancing upward, she ahead and screamed, "CASTOR, LOOK OUT!"

Castor halted immediately, skidding to a halt on the stone pathway. The three of them looked up to see Masaya pushing Kish down by the shoulders, shoving him down towards the ground quickly. Almost immediately in front of them, an angel holding a wooden crate narrowly caught Kish's whips as they fell from the sky. Ichigo's breath halted, and the solider looked her right in the eye.

". . . Princess?" he said weakly.

Then, Ichigo felt the ground shake from the impact and saw Masaya and Kish had landed only a block away.

She heard Kish's voice yelling something indistinct. She took a deep breath. _Be brave._

"Let's go!" Ichigo yelled to the cats, ignoring the soldier in front of him. They dashed off, past the angel soldier, who sat dumbfounded, watching them go.

_I see the sais! _Pollux said. _You two go on ahead. I'll grip them with my teeth and bring them to you._

"Okay!" Ichigo yelled to Pollux, who split from the pair, traveling off to the side as Ichigo and Castor continued. Castor slid around the corner of a building just as Ichigo heard an earth-shattering scream.

* * *

(_a.n.:_

_Thank you to all those who've been reviewing since the recent updates. It's good to know you guys are enjoying the story so far. I know, I left you at a huge cliffhanger this chapter. I promise that the next update will be soon. Until then, please, _please_ drop me a review! I love to hear feedback, big or small, negative or positive. Until next time!)_


	20. DILABOR::part 1

The scene in front of her was horrific. There was a ring of angels positioned in a circle around two figures near the center—one Masaya, one Kish. Masaya, pinning Kish to the ground, was dripping in black blood, his sword covered in it. Ichigo felt like she was going to puke.

"MASAYA!" she shrieked, jumping off Castor in an instant. Masaya turned his head, shocked, in Ichigo's direction. His eyes widened, his jaw falling loose on his face as Ichigo rushed towards him. The crowd of angels parted for her as she went through, some looking at each other in confusion, others watching her go with their hands on their weapons. Castor followed Ichigo through the part in the crowd, keeping his sharp, green eyes on their surroundings.

What Ichigo saw next was a sight she wished she hadn't seen. The whole walkway was covered in Kish's blood. A small stub of a wing was left attached to Kish's writhing, sweating body. His teeth were clenched, his eyes screwed shut. He was dying.

"MASAYA!" Ichigo screamed, breaking through the crowd of angels and stepping into the middle of the ring, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

"What I should have done all along!" Masaya replied, his face showing both anger and confusion. "Ichigo, this is the way it has to be! It always has been! I'll explain later, but right now, I need you to leave! Go home!"

Ichigo was filled with an uncontrollable rage. She clenched her fists, bared her teeth and shrieked, "NO! I WILL NOT LEAVE! I am going to stay RIGHT HERE and you are going to GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Masaya stood still, remaining in his position looming over Kish, one hand still around his neck. Breaking eye contact with Ichigo, he raised his sword once more.

"NO!" Ichigo screamed. She took two leaps forward and dove over Kish's body, poising on all fours over the upper half where Masaya intended to strike.

"You will not lay a finger on him," she hissed, staring up at Masaya, who was mere inches from her wrath-filled face. Masaya slowly let go of his grip on Kish's neck, being careful not to touch Ichigo as he set it instead to Kish's side.

His sword remaining in the air, he said, "You've gone too far, Ichigo."

"Oh, I'VE gone too far?" Ichigo yelled. "Look at yourself! You're a monster!"

Masaya's face changed, his expression revealing mixed feelings over his actions. Ichigo broke eye contact with Masaya and looked at her fist, still clenching the small glass vial. She brought one hand to the other and pulled open the cork. Masaya watched her; then, seeing the vial and realizing what it was, his eyes widened.

"Ichigo, you can't-"

"Watch me."

Ichigo sat on her feet and cradled Kish's head in one hand. She saw his face relax slightly at her touch. He opened his eyes. The eye sockets were still shining from the electricity he had fed inside himself. Miraculously, the gold crown still rested on his head, though it was buried into his hair and had flecks of blood spattered on it. The paint from his crowning also remained, some of it smudged and smeared with sweat.

"Kish, please, hold on. I need you to drink this. Please. Please stay."

Castor, still standing behind the two, glared up at Masaya. He saw the angel prince lower his sword, his eyes closing as he drew a sigh. He had given up. Why?

Pollux broke through the crowd of angels, gripping the two sais in his teeth. The angel soldiers surrounding the scene looked at each other in confusion over whether to strike at Pollux. With no orders from Masaya, who appeared to have given up momentarily, they continued to watch as Pollux sat by Castor's side.

Kish closed his eyes once more, relaxing his jaw so Ichigo could slip the liquid into his mouth. Kish coughed, sputtering some of the liquid from his mouth, and cringed as he swallowed. He hissed in pain at the coughing spasms, clenching his jaw once more. Then, he let out another scream, arching his back as his legs kicked erratically. Ichigo panicked, thinking the elixir was hurting him instead of helping.

Kish continued to scream and arch his back, and then Ichigo noticed something strange. The remaining wing Kish retained was bubbling, as though the surface was boiling water, popping and spreading like a liquid surface. Then, small holes appeared on the surface, out of them coming little pins that stretched longer and longer. Masaya stumbled back, stepping out of the way while the transformation occurred.

Ichigo saw that the stub of wing left on Kish's back was changing, too. A sickening snapping noise filled the air as white bone built itself up in layers of sheets, stretching and stretching longer and longer into the frame of a wing. When it reached its original length, the intact wing began to stretch with it, both wings continuing to grow until each wing was roughly ten feet long. Then, the broken wing began to grow a membrane over it, stretching over the surface of the bone, and bubbling in a similar manner to the intact wing. Kish had halted his screaming, now silent, pushing himself off of the ground with his forearms and remaining still.

Now both wings were growing little spines out of the membrane surface. Then, they began to increase in size, branching out into what Ichigo realized to be feathers. However, they were not white as Ichigo had expected. No, the feathers that came out of the membrane were pitch black, and they continued to sprout all over Kish's wings until the wings were full with them. Then, as quickly as it began, the motion stopped, and there was silence all around the crowd gathered there in the street. Ichigo looked in wonder at the new wings on Kish's back. They were massive, even longer than the ones he had before, and their sleek, black appearance reminded her of a raven.

Slowly, Kish's wings moved. Kish, still silent, retracted them to him, then stretched them out to their full length. Some of the soldiers standing around had to move in order to avoid being hit by them. Ichigo was still sitting on her knees, her face level with Kish's as he slowly rose from the ground to face her. Pollux noticed Kish's motion and walked to Kish's side, where he gingerly set the sais next to Kish. Kish heard the noise and moved his fingertips to brush the metallic surface of his weapons as he continued to face Ichigo.

"Ichigo," he whispered, his eye sockets illuminating Ichigo's face. "This new strength . . . I . . . I'm alive."

Something seemed to change in Kish's facial expression, his face folding into anger once more. Grabbing one of his sais, he possessively wrapped his bloodied arm around Ichigo's waist and turned to face behind him, where Masaya stood in shock.

"Masaya," he hissed. "What did you do with my eyes, you filthy bastard?"

Masaya's face grew stern. He glanced at the soldiers standing behind him.

"Let's go," Masaya muttered. "Our work here is done."

Instantly, the air around Ichigo and Kish rippled, the soldiers all disappearing into the air around them. "NO!" Kish yelled, rising to his feet and swinging at the place where Masaya stood. He was too late. They were gone. "God damn it," Kish muttered, dropping to his knees and letting his sai clatter to the ground.

Ichigo crawled to Kish's side, where she placed her hand on his. Kish reacted immediately, encircling Ichigo with his body and nuzzling his face in her hair.

"Ichigo, Ichigo, oh god, why did you do that?"

"I'm sorry," Ichigo murmured.

"No, god, Ichigo, please, don't apologize," Kish said, squeezing her tighter. "Ichigo, you could have been killed."

"You were dying," Ichigo replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I did what I had to do to save your life." Kish paused, lifting his head slightly from Ichigo's shoulder.

"Ichigo, that liquid I drank . . . what _am_ I?"

"Part bird," Ichigo replied. "The elixir I gave you was one meant for humans. I was given it to use on my wedding day so that I would look like an angel. This guy . . . said he was some kind of wizard . . . came into your room and told me that you needed it to save your life. So I came."

"Voit," Kish muttered, letting his hands slide down to grip Ichigo's arms. "He must have seen what would happen. But god damn it, why did he send you?"

"He said no one would hurt me because they know who I am," Ichigo replied.

"But Ichigo, he sent you out on a _battlefield_! You could have easily been crushed by a body or a sword falling to the ground!"

"I brought Castor and Pollux with me for that reason," Ichigo replied. "So I wouldn't get . . . hurt . . ." Ichigo's eyes had fallen to her arms. She was covered in black blood up to her elbows. She looked to Kish and saw that his wounds had stopped bleeding, but looked quickly back to her own arms and inhaled. Her head felt light and full of air, her vision blurring from the corners in.

_So much blood._

"Kish, I'm going . . . Kish . . . my arms . . . blood . . ."

The ground was whirling underneath her. Everything around Ichigo was a fuzzy static. She found herself unable to focus. Her eyes closed, and her mind slipped into nothingness.

Ichigo lost consciousness. She fell forward into the arms of Kish, who automatically began to panic.

"Ichigo!" he yelled, gripping her limp body tightly.

Castor stepped forward, rubbing up against Kish's side.

"Castor? Pollux?" Kish said frantically. "We need help! I can't see a thing and Ichigo's passed out! We need to get back to the castle!"

Castor growled quietly before nodding to Pollux, who sat back on his haunches and let out a terrifying roar. Immediately there were demon soldiers flying overhead, sailing down to meet Kish and the cats.

"Your Majesty!" the first soldier yelled. "Your wings!"

"I know!" Kish said, lifting his head in the direction of the soldier. He heard a gasp as the soldier realized Kish's eyes were gone. "I need you and any others that can help to guide us back to the castle!" More soldiers had assembled by now, all of them awed at the sight of Kish's new wings. Finally, Kish heard a familiar voice in the crowd.

"Get out of the way!"

Pie pushed and shoved soldiers out of his path as he strode towards Kish. Kish lifted Ichigo, cradling her in his arms as he stood to face the voice of Pie.

"Kish, what in god's name happened to you?" Pie said.

"War happened," Kish answered simply. "The angels have my eyes."

"Damn it," Pie hissed. "The girl, is she dead?"

"No, she lost consciousness after she realized she had my blood all over her," Kish replied. "We'll figure out what to do about my eyes later, but right now, we need to get back to the castle and assess the damages."

"Speaking of damages," Pie muttered, "one of your wings is lying severed on the ground and now you have feathers like some kind of angel scum. What the hell is going on?"

"Its an elixir. It saved my life, Pie, and like I said, we'll figure it out later. Let's go."

"Can you even fly?" Pie asked, obviously not warmed up to the idea of Kish's new wings. Kish bent his knees and shot off the ground, flapping the monstrous wings until he was fifty feet off the ground. Pie followed him, flying at his height.

"Alright, we can work with this," Pie said. "Just follow the sound of my voice and I'll take you back."

* * *

Ichigo awoke with a start, gasping and jolting her body upwards. She looked down and realized she was wearing an unfamiliar white gown. Her eyes looked around wildly. She was lying on a cot, draped in a thin, white blanket. The walls were bare stone, the only furniture other than her cot being a row of cabinets on the opposite wall, stacked with jars and basins. The small room was empty except for one figure, who sat in a chair at the end of where she lay. It was her father. He had his eyes closed, his head bobbing up and down as he snoozed.

"Dad!" Ichigo said. Shintaro's head shot up immediately. He grinned.

"Ichigo! You're awake!" He stood up and rushed to her side, embracing her in a hug, which Ichigo accepted warmly.

"How long have I been asleep?" Ichigo asked, breaking from the hug to look at Shintaro. He shrugged.

"At least a few hours. I don't know how long I've been napping either. I'd say you've been out for half a day or so." Ichigo clenched her jaw as she began to recall the memories of what happened before she lost consciousness.

"What happened to Kish?" she asked worriedly.

"He's fine," Shintaro grunted. "He's been coming in and out of here occasionally. Never mind him, how are you feeling?"

"Alright," Ichigo replied. "A little thirsty though. And still kind of light-headed."

Shintaro, sensing that he could be of help, said, "I'll go get the nurse!" And with that, he bolted out of the room.

Ichigo, now alone, was left to her thoughts. She wondered what Kish was going to do without his eyes. She recalled that before she happened upon him and Masaya, she had seen another angel catch Kish's whips in a wooden box. The angels must have been planning to take away his eyes in the first place. Ichigo wondered what reason would they have to take the eyes and keep them. She wanted to know why they didn't destroy them, which would have been much easier than trying to preserve them in a box. Unless they had some sort of use for them. Ichigo couldn't think of anything they could be used for, especially since they were electrified and extremely dangerous to touch.

The door to the room opened. In walked a purple-haired girl with what Ichigo recognized to be wolf ears on her head. Another human, but one she did not recognize. The wolf girl closed the door behind her.

"Are you the nurse?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"In your case, yes," the girl said. "Normally we'd have another demon nurse assisting you, but His Majesty gave specific orders that I was to take care of you. I'm sure you can guess why."

"Because you're human?" Ichigo offered. The wolf girl nodded.

"Although I'm not sure why you need a human nurse," she said, walking over to Ichigo's side. "You just lost consciousness, that's all. Let me guess, you're dehydrated?"

Ichigo nodded. The girl went to one of the basins and drew a cup of cold water from it, handing it to Ichigo.

"Pardon me for asking, but what's your name?" Ichigo asked the wolf girl.

"Zakuro," the girl replied. "And since I know you'll ask, I've been here for six years. I left by choice."

"Well now that I've left, I can see why," Ichigo remarked, sipping from her water. "What's it like living here? As a human, that is."

Zakuro shrugged. "It's good and bad. Good because I'm free from the god-awful politics of living in the human kingdom, but bad because you get discriminated against here. People still talk about me like I'm a spy, and like I said, it's been six years." Ichigo nodded gravely.

"I see," she said.

"You'll have it different, though." Zakuro said, turning from Ichigo's side. "Since Kish brought you here himself, you'll be shielded from a lot of the discrimination that I've had to endure. However, you will have it worse in some ways as well."

"How?" Ichigo asked.

"You're royalty. Everyone here knows your name. And everyone here knows who your daddy is, and what he's done to some of the people here," Zakuro said bluntly. "People will be out to get you simply because of your background, and you have to brace yourself for that."

Ichigo cast her eyes to the floor, turning the thought over in her head. She restrained herself from bringing up the "he's not my dad" exclamation, just to avoid interrupting Zakuro's train of thought. She knew that, whether or not the king was her real father, she would have to face the malice all the same.

"Plus," Zakuro continued, "if I'm not mistaken, Kish has every intention to make you his queen. The backlash will be tremendous, as you can imagine, because it will be the first time in history that the demon king will have chosen a non-demon queen."

Ichigo's breath halted. Queen? She hadn't thought that far ahead in the future yet. But now that she mulled over the idea, she realized that it made more sense than she initially cared to admit. She smirked to herself over the idea, realizing what a slap in the face it would be to the human royal family if she married Kish.

Zakuro noticed the little smirk on Ichigo's face. "What's so funny?" she muttered.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how I'd like to see the look on the human royal family's faces if they found out that I was marrying Kish," Ichigo said, catching Zakuro's eye. At first, Zakuro's face remained solemn, but then she smirked a little too.

"Yes, it would be quite the payback, wouldn't it?" Zakuro paused, her face growing solemn again. "Why don't you just say 'my family'?"

"Because they're not my family," Ichigo explained. "I was kidnapped by the king when I was little, and raised as the princess ever since."

Zakuro grimaced. "That's terrible," she said, furrowing her brow. "Then I suppose that man and woman wandering around the castle now are your real parents?"

"That's right," Ichigo said.

"This is why I got the hell out of that awful kingdom," Zakuro said. "No offense, but human politics suck."

"I know," Ichigo said, rolling her eyes. "Been there, done that. I-"

Ichigo was interrupted by the door swinging open once again and Kish rushing in, not even pausing to say a word before wrapping Ichigo in his arms. The paint was gone from his face, but in its place he had tied a black blindfold around his eyes.

"Kish, why do you always seem to be busting through doors around here?" Ichigo said with a smile, returning Kish's hug. He stayed silent. "I missed you," Ichigo added.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Kish murmured, gripping Ichigo tighter. "I was so worried."

"I should be the one worrying about you!" Ichigo said. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Kish admitted. "My back aches really bad."

"Well no wonder," Ichigo muttered. "You had one of your wings hacked off then grew a new pair. I'm surprised it didn't hurt more." Kish broke away from his embrace with Ichigo.

"What's with the blindfold?" she asked.

"My eyes were scaring people," Kish muttered. "It keeps people from being distracted when they talk to me."

"I see," Ichigo said grimly. They both sat in silence for a moment.

"I should go," Zakuro muttered.

"Thanks, Zakuro," Kish said. Zakuro opened the door and shut it behind her.

Ichigo took Kish's hands in hers and massaged them tenderly. "Your wings look amazing," she murmured.

"They're your gift," Kish replied softly. "God, I can't believe that I finally have you here in the castle, alone, just you and me, and I can't even see you."

"I don't mind," Ichigo said, standing from the cot. She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. "At least I'm still here."

"Mmmhmm," Kish murmured into Ichigo's hair. He rubbed one hand up and down Ichigo's back, one hand gripping the back of her head. He inhaled deeply as he nuzzled his face in her thick, red locks. He sighed a deep sigh. "Ichigo, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Ichigo automatically felt panicked. "Wh-what is it?" he asked hesitantly, still keeping her arms wrapped about his neck.

"Ichigo, you're not going to be very safe here until things cool down with the humans," Kish said. "I don't feel comfortable putting you in my room, because I wouldn't sleep in my room either. It's just too risky now that Masaya knows you're here. But I don't want to move you to another room of the castle either, because I know some of the people who live in this castle aren't very fond of humans, especially the royal kind. And by now, I'm sure the whole castle knows you're here."

"Then I suppose it wouldn't help to have one of my friends come with me," Ichigo murmured.

"Correct," Kish said. "It's too much of a risk. At least, for now. Like I said, I'll make sure to get everyone warmed up to you as quickly as I can, but for right now, these first couple weeks are going to be tense."

"Well then what should I do?" Ichigo said, moving her arms so that they encircled Kish's torso.

"I thought of something, but you're not going to like it," Kish said quietly.

"Try me," Ichigo replied with a little smirk. Kish heaved another sigh, hesitating.

"Sleep with me."

Ichigo, dumbfounded, froze. She held her breath and furrowed her brow, stepping back from Kish.

"_What?_" she said in disbelief.

"Okay, that sounds worse than I mean," Kish muttered, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "What I mean is that we should share a room. That way, no one will be able to mess with you and if something happens and we find the castle under attack again, we won't be separated, wondering if the other is alright."

Ichigo had to admit that it sounded like a good idea. She was tired of worrying about Kish all the time while separated from him, and after hearing what Zakuro said about the demon people disliking her from the get-go, she could use all the protection she could get, both from the people inside the castle and out.

" . . . okay. Let's do it," Ichigo agreed. Kish grinned.

"Fantastic," he said, running his hands through his hair. "I know exactly where we'll be. I'll have your wardrobe moved there immediately and then you can get settled in."

"Wardrobe?" Ichigo said curiously.

"Don't you remember what I said in my letter?" Kish said playfully. He reached out and cupped the side of Ichigo's face, missing his mark as he accidentally brought his hand gently to the side of her forehead. He snickered and brought his hand down lower to her cheek. "You have a wardrobe waiting here for you. Complete in the style of a demon princess. Give me ten minutes and everything will be ready for you, kitten."

"O-okay," Ichigo murmured. "What do I do until then?"

"Well I'll send Zakuro back in here just to make sure you're stable," Kish said. "Then she'll escort you to the room. I'll tell her which one it is."

Ichigo heaved a huge sigh and rubbed her eyes with her hands. Kish brought his hands to Ichigo's arms again, gently caressing them.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"This is just a lot to take in all at once," Ichigo murmured. "I'll just be happy when we're all settled in and things are back to normal."

"Ah, but things aren't going to go back to normal," said Kish. "That's the beauty of it, sweetheart. You're not going back to normal, you're making a new normal."

"Making a new normal . . ." Ichigo muttered to herself. "I like it." She looked up at Kish, her face falling as she gazed sadly at the blindfold where his eyes should have been. She reached up with one hand to feel alongside Kish's face. Kish inhaled sharply at Ichigo's touch.

"Ichigo . . ." Kish murmured, resting his hands at Ichigo's waist. "If I miss when I kiss you, will you laugh at me?"

Ichigo smiled. "Only a little, Kish."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Kish smiled and bent down to Ichigo's face, Ichigo helping him along by moving slightly to the right to catch his lips in hers. It was a short, warm kiss that Kish broke when he said, "I'll see you in a little bit, okay?"

Ichigo frowned. "Alright," she said dejectedly. Kish sensed her unhappiness and bent back down to give her another kiss, this time harder. It was short like the last, Kish following it up with, "We'll have plenty of that later, sweetheart."

"Not like you to turn down the opportunity for more kisses," Ichigo murmured. Kish flinched slightly as he anxiously gestured to the door with a nod.

He whispered,_ "We've got company."_

Ichigo grimaced, nodding in understanding. Kish turned and pulled open the door. Shintaro, Sakura, Lettuce, and Pudding all came toppling into the room, tripping over each other as they stumbled in, Zakuro cooly following behind. Ichigo saw Kish mutter something under his breath as he exited the room. Ichigo's friends and family rushed to her side. She grinned, taking turns to hug each of them.

"It's so good to see you all!"

* * *

_(a.n._

_In case this chapter throws some of you off, this story has not yet reached its climax. It still has a little ways to go. We just happened to end on a somewhat "resolving" note this time. As an aside, I'd like to give a huge shout-out to those who've been reviewing lately. I'm super grateful for each and every review, and I hope you guys continue to give me feedback on how the story is coming along. I'd love it if you would drop me a word or two about the latest chapter. Thank you!)_


	21. DILABOR::part 2

"Just keep your head low and walk behind me."

That was what Zakuro said to Ichigo as they entered the hall of the castle. Zakuro was thoughtful enough to bring Ichigo a red robe that she could wear over the flimsy white gown she had on when she woke up. The two marched to the specified room, which was on the top floor. Ichigo and Zakuro went through a doorway that led to a spiral staircase, which they ascended in what seemed like an endless loop before they reached the top. Zakuro pushed open a door and strode out, keeping a quick pace that Ichigo found hard to keep up with.

As soon as they reached the top floor, Ichigo understood why Kish would choose this location. It was mostly free of servants and people bustling about. The hall was spacious, hung with pantings instead of tapestries. The floor was mostly quiet, Zakuro and Ichigo seemingly the only two people there.

"They mostly use this floor for storage," Zakuro said. "Its spacious rooms are good for keeping things like old furniture in."

"I see," Ichigo said. They took a left at the end of the wide hallway, where there was a single door. Zakuro turned the knob and peered inside.

"It's empty," she said. "But it looks like your stuff is here, so the servants must have cleared out by now."

"Okay," Ichigo said, stepping into the room.

She could tell immediately that the room had not been used recently. There was a lingering smell of perfume and flowers, indicating that the last resident was a woman. The room was built as a semi-circle, with large, curving windows placed in a row all along the wall facing out to the landscape past the castle. The room belonged to one of the towers on the corner of the castle, giving it the circular shape. There were several ornate rugs spread on the floor, all with an exotic, wild look to them. The dresser and bed were made from what Ichigo recognized to be cherry wood, the covers on the bed colored a deep crimson. The bed appeared to be freshly made.

"It's definitely something new," Ichigo murmured. She drew the shades mostly closed, leaving room for a little bit of sunlight to show through. The sun was already beginning to go down again, indicating the end of a long, long day.

"Do you feel comfortable being by yourself?" Zakuro asked. Ichigo looked around and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose so," she replied. "Thanks for showing me here."

"It's no trouble," said Zakuro. "Let me know if you need me again."

The simple offer had so much meaning to it, Ichigo knew. She could have Zakuro to lean on if she needed someone who knew how to deal with being out of the human kingdom. Ichigo nodded to Zakuro.

"Thank you. Truly. Thank you."

Zakuro tipped her head to Ichigo before closing the door behind her.

Ichigo sighed and looked towards the closet with the door slightly ajar. Opening it, she saw that it was packed full of gowns and dresses of all kinds, mostly suited for girls of the demon kingdom. Ichigo could tell by the skirts that came above the knee or that had no backs to them. She knew she would have fun trying them on later. But for now, Ichigo knew it was time to rest after her long, hard day, so she needed to find something to sleep in.

It wasn't long before she happened upon a cluster of gowns that were all above the knee and made out of cotton or satins, most having no sleeves to them. Ichigo frowned and glanced below the gowns. There lay several pairs of slippers, indicating that she was indeed looking in the right place.

Ichigo gingerly fingered the material on one of the satin gowns. It was simple—black with a small bit of white lace detailing on the hem—and she admired its simplicity. Plus, it had to feel like a dream to sleep in. Making up her mind, Ichigo undid her robe, pulled off her white gown, and slipped the black one on. She was right—it was very, very comfortable. She stepped out of the closet and yawned, pulling open her satchel and grabbing her brush.

_Oh, right,_ she thought while brushing her hair, _Kish is probably going to be spending the night here. I wonder how that will go . . . or when he'll even get here_. Ichigo set down her brush and walked over to the shades, which she drew completely before crawling under the covers of the bed. They were warm and welcoming to her tired body. She nestled into the pillow and shut her eyes. _Doesn't matter anyway. I'll be sleeping._

And sleep she did. Ichigo was fast asleep when Kish walked in three hours later, when it was pitch dark outside. He did his best to quietly creep to the other side of the room, where he entered his closet, accidentally running into the door frame in the process, and emerged wearing only his boxer shorts. As quietly as possible, he slipped one leg, then the other, into the bed where Ichigo lay. He slid in next to her with ease, curling one arm around her sleeping form, who was facing away from him. He tucked her body into his as he slowly began to ease into sleep.

"Kish?" Ichgo murmured sleepily, stirring from her sleep.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, did I wake you up?" Kish said quietly. "I didn't mean to."

"That's alright," Ichigo whispered, turning over to face him. "What kept you?"

"Well . . . everyone's pissed off at me. No one knows what to do about my eyes. We'll have to postpone the banquet planned in my honor. A bunch of soldiers are dead on our doorstep. On top of that, everyone's found out by now about your arrival, and no one's happy about it," groaned Kish. "You know . . . the usual."

Ichigo, at a loss for words, curled up closer to Kish. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I've caused so much trouble around here."

"No, Ichigo, you haven't!" Kish insisted. "Demons and angels have been sparring for centuries, so there's nothing new about that. Besides, I would be dead if it wasn't for you."

"If only we could find a way to make everyone think the same way you do," Ichigo murmured. "I'm afraid I'll never be able to find my footing here."

"I'll do everything in my power to help, sweetheart," said Kish reassuringly, stroking Ichigo's hair. "I just need you to trust me that everything will work out alright in the end. Okay?"

"Okay," Ichigo said. Kish tipped his head forward and kissed Ichigo on the forehead.

"I'd do anything for the girl that saved my life," Kish said quietly.

Ichigo blushed. Kish brought one of his hands from the back of her head to her face, which he traced delicately with his fingertips. Again, Ichigo found herself staring sadly at the place where Kish's eyes should have been. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He had so much to live up to, so much pressure put on him as the new king, yet he had so many unique challenges he had to face at the same time. She gingerly lifted the edge of Kish's blindfold to look into the bright blue light emitted from Kish's eye socket. Kish's face immediately grew sad when he realized what Ichigo was thinking.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," he murmured quietly. "I wish I had them back, too." Ichigo let go of the blindfold, letting it fall back in place. She nuzzled up close to his chest once more.

"It's okay," she replied, closing her eyes. "I'm just happy that I finally get to be here with you."

Kish wrapped both of his arms around Ichigo's body, tucking her in closer to himself. He moved his right wing until the silky feathers fell over the two in a curtain, delicately brushing up against Ichigo's bare legs. She began to purr softly. Kish took notice and smiled.

"This must be a dream," he whispered softly in Ichigo's ear. Ichigo cracked her eyes open, her lips curling upwards at the corners.

"Then I don't ever want to wake up," she whispered back.

Slowly, gently, she tilted her head upwards and pressed her lips softy against Kish's. Kish responded by eagerly tilting his head to the side, cracking his lips to touch his tongue to Ichigo's lips. Ichigo parted her lips to welcome Kish's, one of her hands finding its way to Kish's face, which she caressed softly as she kissed him.

She broke off from him slowly, drawing back to look at him once more. Again, she found herself surprised when there were no golden eyes to stare back at her. As long as she had her eyes closed while Kish kissed her, she hardly noticed their absence.

"Ichigo," Kish murmured, "I hope you know I'm forever indebted to you. For halting death for me. For being my saving grace. If there's anything at all—anything you want, name it. It's yours."

"You make it sound as if you wouldn't have granted me the world to begin with," Ichigo replied, smirking to herself. "I know you would have said the same, even if I hadn't rescued you."

"That's true," Kish whispered, pausing to think. "I suppose I say that to try and console myself more than anything else."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"Ichigo, you nearly died trying to save my life," Kish breathed. "You went—alone, besides the cats—into a foreign battlefield, dodged falling bodies, blindly trusted none of the angels to hurt you, told your fiance Masaya to back off, and used a mysterious potion you didn't even know would work, all so that I come back more powerful than I was before. That's not something one should take lightly. I need some kind of consolation knowing that I've somehow repaid my debt to you for the life that you gave me."

"I don't see it that way," Ichigo whispered. "How long has it been since we've known each other?"

Kish thought for a moment. "I think it's somewhere close to five months."

"Sounds about right," Ichigo said with a sigh. "Five months ago, when I was sitting out in the garden outside the palace, waiting for Masaya to show up, wearing my little white dress . . . you didn't have to take me alive. It would have been so, _so_ easy to just slice my throat and have it be over with. Just as I didn't have to save your life last night, you didn't have to save mine."

"That's different," Kish growled. "Don't get me wrong, kitten, but I was bent on killing you that day. I was just sitting there behind one of those cherry trees, sitting on the stone walls around the garden. I had my sais drawn as I watched you, and I was about to strike after that guard left.

"But something stopped me. I think it was your voice. I heard you talking to that cat. Once I heard your voice, something about it sent shivers up my spine. Something deep in my heart told me that I had to take you alive. Then, when you started talking aloud about Masaya, I . . . I just knew. I knew that I was going to be a part in your story. I tried to deny it, you know. Push the thought out of my mind. When you fainted on the way to my room, I laid you down on the bed and resolved that I should just get it over with then.

"Again, Ichigo, I had my sais drawn. I leaned over your body and held one of them only a few inches from your heart. I stayed like that for what seemed like eternity, trying to will myself to plunge the sword into your sleeping body. But that small part of me persisted that there was a reason you had to stay alive. No matter how hard I argued with myself over you being the key to severing the ties between the humans and the angels, I just couldn't kill you. The longer I watched your peaceful face, your full, red lips parted slightly as you slept, your chest rising and falling under my sword . . .

"I threw the sai across the room and sat back on my feet, dumbfounded at my own mixed emotions. It was the first time my emotions had tested my intellectual stance in such a trying way. I was so . . . confused."

Kish breathed a deep sigh. "That's why I was asking so many questions about you that day, Ichigo. I wanted to know about the girl who had stopped my plans in their tracks, without even speaking a word in your own defense. Now I realize that killing you would have been the biggest mistake of my life."

"Or it would have simplified it," Ichigo remarked. "You wouldn't be in half the trouble you are now if you had just done it." Kish let out a snarl and possessively wrapped Ichigo closer to him.

"Stop talking like that," he hissed. "I would rather live a thousand lives where I have to face the troubles I have now than live this one life without you, Ichigo. Or, worse, knowing I'd been the one to kill you."

"Kish . . ." Ichigo whispered, shutting her eyes. "Kish, I . . . I love you."

Kish was silent for a moment. "And I love you, Ichigo. More than you'll ever know."

He gently twirled a strand of her hair in his long, thin fingers. "More than fighting, more than sleeping, more than breathing," he continued slowly, in a low voice, "more than life itself, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled, relaxing against Kish's protective form. He sighed into her hair.

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world," she murmured quietly.

"Then I'm the luckiest boy," Kish whispered, planting a gentle kiss on Ichigo's forehead.

"Shouldn't you be asleep by now?" Ichigo said teasingly. "You've had a long day, Your Majesty."

"Don't call me that," Kish snapped, irritated. "If there's one person around here who shouldn't be calling me 'Your Majesty', it's you."

"I'm just messing with you," Ichigo giggled. "Stop taking everything so seriously." Kish sighed.

"Sorry, it kinda comes with the job."

"Goodnight, Kish," Ichigo whispered.

Kish looked down, pulling the covers further up their bodies before he said, "Sweet dreams, my love."

* * *

A dove flitted into the outer gate to the demon kingdom. It flapped its wings delicately as it soared high above the buildings of the town below it, pointed to its destination. In the distance, the sun began to peek over the horizon, lighting up the land with bright shades of pink and orange. The dove flapped its wings faster as it landed on one of the watchtowers of the dark, looming castle. More guards than usual were lining those walls due to the battle the day before. One of them was quick to receive the tiny, white bird as it flew to them. It had a small piece of paper wrapped to its foot.

The guard closest to the bird gently lifted its feathery body into his hands, where he delicately undid the string holding the piece of paper to the small foot of the bird. The paper, no bigger than the size of three fingers, unfurled as the guard read the message aloud.

**_"We have your eyes. You have our princess._**

**_Three days. Sundown. Your southern gate."_**

The guards all looked at each other, eyes wide.

They were silent, staring at each other in disbelief until one of them blurted out, "Oh shit."

* * *

_(a.n._

_Short chapter, I know. Short, but important. It's about time Ichigo and Kish had a good, long chat, right? I thought so. As always, let me know what you thought.  
Dilabor= "to fall apart, melt away")_


	22. DILABOR::part 3

_ Knock, knock, knock._

Kish stirred from his sleep and heaved a sigh, choosing to ignore whoever was outside. The knocking persisted, louder this time.

_Knock, knock._

Then, _BANG BANG BANG _as the person outside the door pounded on it fervently. Kish growled and grudgingly pulled his arm off of Ichigo, sliding out from under the covers and stomping his way over to where he figured the door was. Feeling the doorframe and the knob, he pulled it open a crack.

_"WHAT?" _he hissed at whoever happened to be outside.

"Uh, Your Majesty," said an unfamiliar voice, "This came to the guards in the east watchtower this morning. It was attached to the foot of a dove."

Kish grimaced. "A dove? It's from the angels, then." Kish heard Ichigo stirring from behind him.

"What's going on?" she asked drowsily.

Kish, hearing Ichigo behind him, said to the man outside the door, "Give me the note."

"But Your Majesty," the man said, "your eyes . . ."

"Ichigo will read this to me," Kish interrupted, holding out his hand. "Give me the note."

"But I don't think-"

"Give. Me. The. Note." Kish spat. The guard placed the small piece of paper in Kish's hand hurriedly. Kish extended his arm in the other direction, holding the note out to Ichigo. She rose from the bed and took it out of his hands.

"What does it say?" Kish asked, keeping his head towards the guard outside the door, who didn't dare leave.

"Hm . . ." Ichigo murmured, rubbing her eyes, "it says . . . '_We have your eyes. You—'_ oh no . . ."

"What?" Kish said.

Ichigo took a deep breath and finished, "' _. . . you have our princess. Three days. Sundown. Your southern gate._'"

Kish was silent for an uncomfortably long time before he said, "Dismissed." The guard took that as his cue to leave and rushed off in a hurry.

Immediately Kish slammed the door and kicked it with his foot, pulling at his hair with his hands. "GOD DAMNIT!" he screamed. "THIS IS BULLSHIT!"

"Kish," Ichigo said firmly. "Kish, calm down!"

"But ICHIGO," Kish yelled, "they just don't let up, do they? It seems I can never win with them! ERGH!" He plopped down on the floor, crossing his legs and putting his head in his hands. Ichigo walked over to where he was and sat down next to him, gingerly putting her hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, right?" Ichigo murmured. Kish groaned.

"Ichigo, it's just . . . you just don't understand."

Ichigo, growing visibly frustrated, said more sharply this time, "What is it I don't understand? We can fix your eyes without needing them, right? I mean, you've got that magician guy, and lots of good doctors."

"It's more complicated than that," Kish growled. "Voit can only work with already existing material. He can't create something from nothing. And there's no way the doctors are advanced enough to do a transplant. Ichigo, I'm blind for life without those eyes. And without them, I'm not fit to rule anymore."

Ichigo was silent for a moment, casting her eyes to the floor before she said, "I think you can still rule with no eyes."

"Yeah, well you'd be the only one," Kish said. "Our culture is different from yours. We base a lot of the honor of our leaders upon their strength and abilities. I've been training for battle since I was a child so that I could take over the throne whenever they need me. It's tradition in the royal families. You must be ready to face battle at any given moment."

"But what about your dad?" Ichigo said. "He was sick for a few months before he passed away."

"That's different," Kish said. "When you're growing old, our culture permits the weakness, given that you have a strong, male heir."

"And your dad had you," Ichigo finished Kish's thought. She hesitated, before asking, "What do they do if you can't rule? Let's assume for a second that your council decides you can't be king anymore because of your disability. What happens?"

Kish tilted his head downward slightly, indicating to Ichigo that he was thinking deeply.

"No one knows," he replied. Pausing, he added, "Except me, and a few choice others."

"Well then what is it? What happens? Do they kill you?" Ichigo asked anxiously. "I want to know since this may also happen to you."

"It happens very rarely," Kish murmured. "The first time it happened, the council unanimously decided that they would not kill the king, but instead let the king act as a mentor, a guardian of future kings. The difference was that the king could not remain in his current state because they were afraid he would try and thwart the ruling of the next king in case he resented his rejection from the throne."

Kish heaved a huge sigh. "It's only happened twice in our entire history. That's where the story ends for most people who ask the same question you've just asked. I'm not going to tell you the rest."

Ichigo looked dejectedly towards the floor, disappointed that she would never know the secret. Then, Kish said, "I won't tell you the rest. I'll show you."

He rose from his seated position on the floor and silently slipped out the door to the room. Ichigo, superbly curious, walked over the bed and sat on its edge, mulling over the story of the kings unfit to rule. The demon culture was so strange, so foreign to her. The more she thought it, the more she realized that the culture was based on an honors system in a way that was similar, yet different to how she was raised. She, too, had been raised to present herself as "the best", but Kish had a different standard held to him.

A few minutes passed before the door opened again. Ichigo's eyes flew to the door instantly, imploring what the secret was about the old kings. Kish had returned, and this time Castor and Pollux were with him. Confused, Ichigo furrowed her brow and was about to ask what he was going to show her. Then, it clicked.

The king could not retain his current state because he would be a threat to the throne. The king would serve as a guardian to future kings.

_'It's only happened twice in our entire history.'_

Ichigo swallowed hard, eyes darting between Castor and Pollux and their human-like eyes. Or, more accurately, _demon-like._

"Castor and Pollux," Ichigo breathed aloud. "Oh my god. It all makes sense."

_You're used to calling us those names, _Castor said. _They're not our real names, but they're the ones we've been given to hide our identities. My real name is Khatep. _

_ And mine is Knolo, _said Pollux. _But please, continue calling us by the names you know us by. It simplifies things._

"Kish you're . . ." Ichigo breathed, ". . . you'd turn into one of them? A cat?"

Kish nodded solemnly. "Khatep, or as you know him, Castor, was the first king to receive this treatment. He was cursed three hundred years ago. Knolo, or, Pollux, was more recently changed. He is my great, great uncle."

"What happened to you two?" Ichigo asked the cats, her eyes sad, sympathetic. "What did you do to deserve this?"

Castor and Pollux looked at each other. Castor spoke first. _I was ruling up until I was about thirty years old. I contracted what you now know as rheumatoid arthritis. Back in my times, they did not know what it was, much less how to treat it. My hands began to suffer extraordinary pain, my fingers twisting until my hands looked and felt like they no longer belonged to me. Finally, the council decided I was no longer fit to be their ruler if I could not hold a sword. They came up with the solution involving giving me a cat's body. It offered relief from my pain, but along with the relief came the knowledge that I would be in this body for a very long time._

"Wait, how are you still alive?" Ichigo interrupted.

_They altered the bodies Pollux and I live in so that we cannot die except by being killed by an outside force, _Castor replied. _As long as we sustain no physical injuries, we continue to live on as mentors to the future kings. That was our purpose in becoming cats to begin with._

Ichigo stayed silent, reflecting on Castor's fate.

Then, Pollux spoke up. _I was never really a king, _he said. _My father died suddenly in battle, and I was next in line. I was a king for five glorious days. It all went to hell when my brother slipped mercury into my drink at the banquet, hours after I was crowned. He unsuccessfully tried to poison me. I stayed alive, but the resulting sickness was devastating. I suffered severe memory loss. I found myself paranoid, always looking behind myself wherever I went. My hair started to fall out. I lost all of my fingernails. Ultimately, it was my limited mental capacity that was my downfall. They decided in less than a week that I was no longer fit to rule, and I was put in the same state as Castor. My brother won. He was crowned king in my stead. Kish knows him as his great, great grandfather._

"Kish, you know all of this?" Ichigo asked, glancing up towards Kish. He nodded.

"I know because Voit told me. Voit is one of the caretakers of Castor and Pollux. The head magicians always are. He said that the rulers are allowed to know about the true identities of Castor and Pollux, but surprisingly, most of them never bother to ask."

"This is all so much to take in," Ichigo breathed, looking into the eyes of the two cats. She now understood why those eyes always seemed to hold a deeper intelligence than your average cat. Both of them had lived for over a century.

_I don't wish my fate upon Kish, _Pollux growled. _Especially not at the hands of the angels. I know what it's like to have my throne taken from me, and I would not wish that on anyone._

"Well then what do we do?" Ichigo asked, looking between Castor and Pollux. "One of you must have an idea. Kish told you about the note, right?" Castor nodded in response.

_Ichigo, if there's going to be any hope of saving Kish, he needs his eyes, _Castor said. _Kish knows this. He is aware that, at the end of three days, you will be leaving with the angels. It's the only way._

Ichigo's eyes slowly shifted to where Kish stood. The corners of his mouth turned down, his gaze still absent, he stood still, listening to Ichigo's words.

"Kish . . ." Ichigo said slowly. "You're going to give me back . . . aren't you?"

"Ichigo, I . . ." Kish hesitated, crossing and uncrossing his arms, "I wish I . . . I want to do something. I want there to be another way this can work. I want you to stay so badly. I can't bear to think of what might happen if I send you back."

"I'd be married," Ichigo said deliberately. She immediately realized that she was being of no help. Kish growled in frustration and ran his hands through his hair again.

"Why is it that when I've finally found something worth living for, everyone else is trying to tear it away?" he yelled in frustration. "All I want is to be with you, Ichigo, so why is it so hard for everyone else to just accept that and move on?"

"You forget who I am," Ichigo murmured. "And who you are."

"I wish it didn't matter!" Kish yelled, slamming a wall with his fist. "I wish nothing mattered! None of this royal bullshit! I'm done with it!" Then, he sunk to the floor, collapsing on his knees as he trembled. Ichigo rose off the bed and came over to him, where she kneeled by him and took him in her arms gently. She realized that, for the first time she had ever seen, he was crying.

"I hate this. I hate this. I hate this," Kish mumbled to himself, furiously wiping away the tears from his face. "I just want to go out and kill all of those angel bastards."

"Shhh," Ichigo soothed, softly rubbing her hand up and down Kish's arm. "Kish, sweetheart, it's going to be okay."

"No it's not!" Kish yelled suddenly. "I can't stand to lose you, Ichigo! Not after everything I've done to bring you here!"

"But couldn't I come back?" Ichigo asked. "Who says you wouldn't be able to bring me back here again?"

"After what I just did to bring you here? No, they will have you under such close surveillance it may be years before I can bring you back," Kish muttered. He wiped another stray tear away.

Then, his breath halted for a moment. His jaw opened slightly, his lips parting as he whispered, "_Wait. I think I have it._"

"What?" Ichigo asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You said you'd be married almost as soon as you get back, right?"

"Give or take a week, yes," Ichigo said sadly. "Which is assuming they retain the original date the wedding was planned for. If I know the royals like I think I do, they're going to want me married as soon as possible."

"Ichigo," Kish breathed, his face rising suddenly, his expression lightening, "I'm going to crash your wedding."

"Wait . . . what?" Ichigo asked doubtfully. "I don't understand!"

Kish rose from the floor and crossed his arms, walking in the general direction of the bed. His leg found the bottom frame, so he turned and sat down on it. "Ichigo, if you're going to be married, everyone of importance is going to be there, angel and human alike. They're all going to be in a cramped cathedral, in formalwear, with small weapons they can conceal easily, and a whole bunch of guards standing post outside where they won't disturb the ceremony. Am I wrong?"

"No, you're absolutely right," Ichigo said, beginning to follow Kish's line of thought. "But I don't like where this is going."

"I know," Kish said, retaining his excited disposition. "You aren't going to like it, but I'm going to do it anyway. All of those royals are dead in a second."

"How do you even know you'll be able to kill them all before they teleport?" Ichigo argued, now feeling slightly miffed at Kish ignoring her feelings towards his master plan.

Kish looked stumped. He looked towards Castor and Pollux, who looked at each other.

_I thought of something, _Pollux growled to Castor. _It's considered dishonorable to use on the battlefield and may get Kish in trouble, but desperate times call for desperate measures._

_ What is it? _Castor asked.

_Gas. _

Ichigo bit her lip, eyes darting from Pollux to Kish. Kish eagerly awaited a translation.

"Ichigo, what did he say?"

"He said . . ." Ichigo hesitated. "He said gas. Use gas."

Kish's face fell.

"What?" Ichigo said. "Not good enough?"

"No, it's perfect," Kish said. "Gassing them out with poisonous fumes before they can teleport. It's exactly what I need. But we haven't used it in centuries because it's considered foul play on the battlefield."

"But you're a demon!" Ichigo exclaimed. "I thought you didn't care about stuff like 'foul play'!"

Kish shook his head. The two cats looked at each other. Pollux snorted.

"Ichigo, Ichigo . . ." Kish mumbled. "I don't think you realize how racist you are towards the demons."

Ichigo furrowed her brow. "I don't get it," she said. "What did I say?"

"You continue to assume that we demons are inherently evil," Kish replied. "It's true that our origins are undeniably satanic, and a lot of our traditions are as such, but the people that live here are just as morally sound as an angel. We are, essentially, no different than you except for our traditions, our dialect, our clothes, and our bodies. You have just been trained since you were little to believe that my race is the collective 'bad guy'."

"Do you really think that now is the time to be arguing about this?" Ichigo said back. She was blushing in embarrassment after realizing that Kish was right.

"I suppose not," Kish muttered. "I just hope you know that my race has morals just like yours does. And its those morals that tell me I maybe shouldn't gas out both sides of the royal families."

"Well, good," Ichigo said sharply. "I didn't like the idea to begin with."

Kish let a low growl escape his throat as he massaged his temples. "But it's just so _perfect. _The solution is right in front of me, but somehow I feel that it would be wrong."

_Ichigo, _growled Pollux suddenly, _tell Kish that he needs to take you with him to see Voit. He'll be able to give him some insight to steer him towards the right course of action._

Ichigo nodded and turned to Kish. "Kish, Pollux thinks that Voit might be able to help you see what's best."

"Ugh, but I can't stand that guy!" Kish groaned. "He's so full of himself! And half the time it seems he doesn't even know what he's talking about!"

"Well it doesn't hurt to try, now does it?" Ichigo muttered. "Come on, let's go." Kish let out a tremendous groan again. Ichigo scowled.

"Kish, will you stop acting so spoiled? My god, you'd think you're the one who's about to go back home to a bunch of angry royals!"

". . . I. . . god, I'm sorry, Ichigo," Kish said, sighing. He grudgingly stood up from his seated position on the bed. "I just . . . I guess it's all just starting to get under my skin."

"Am I getting under your skin?" Ichigo asked quietly, watching Kish as he clumsily found his way to his walk-in closet.

"No, no, Ichigo, you're not," Kish called back to her. "I'm sorry if it sounds that way. It wasn't my intention. I'm just afraid that, with all this stress, I'm going a little bit psycho."

"More than the usual psycho?" Ichigo said with a smirk.

"Yeah. More than usual," Kish agreed jokingly. "God damnit . . . Ichigo, this sounds really stupid, but can you come help me with this? I can't figure out how this shirt is supposed to button."

Ichigo sighed and rose from the bed. She walked over to the closet where Kish was. He had somehow managed to get into a pair of skinny black pants, but he was struggling with a pinstriped red button-up dress shirt. She gently unbuttoned the mess Kish had made of trying to match the buttons to their correct button holes.

"I'm surprised you managed to match two articles of clothing without eyes," Ichigo remarked.

"Most of my clothes are the same few colors," Kish said. "What did I pick up, anyway? Is this shirt the dark green one?"

"No, this is the red one with the black pinstripes," Ichigo replied, finishing the last couple buttons.

"Oh," Kish muttered. "Ok, well I hate this shirt, so I'll have to find another."

Ichigo rolled her eyes. "Kish, you look fine. I think that looks great on you."

Kish sighed and gave no response, the corners of his mouth turning down in a pout.

"I'm going to get dressed. It'll be just a second," Ichigo said. Kish caught her wrists as she turned to leave.

"Wait," he said. "I didn't get to say thank you."

"There's nothing to thank me for," Ichigo said.

"Thank you for helping me in my blind stupidity," Kish said with a grin. Ichigo cracked a smile.

"My pleasure, Your Majesty," Ichigo replied sarcastically. Kish bent down until their foreheads touched.

"Will you stop calling me that?" he said with a smirk. He leaned forward and pushed his lips against Ichigo's roughly. She eagerly kissed him back before he pulled away quickly. "Now go put some real clothes on, Your Highness."

Ichigo scoffed and left the closet, walking across the room to hers. She ran her fingers along the dresses, wondering to herself what it was she was supposed to wear.

Kish interrupted her as if he could read her mind: "If you're going for something more casual, pick one of the dresses that comes a little above the knee."

"How do you know that?" Ichigo asked critically. She snatched a black cotton dress from the rack that looked the right length. It was sleeveless with a low-cut back, which Ichigo was a little uncomfortable with. She figured the backs of the dresses here were cut like that to allow for a demon woman's wings.

"I pay attention," Kish replied casually.

As soon as Ichigo slipped on the dress, she felt a sense of rebellion bubble up inside of her. The mirror at the end of the hallway showed her how the dress came a few inches above the knee, flaring outwards in a full skirt. Her upper back completely exposed, Ichigo admired her figure in the mirror. Surely this was a dress that she could only wear while she was here in the demon kingdom. Nice girls didn't wear these dresses where she was from.

To complete the look, she proudly picked out a pair of red heels from the closet and slipped them on. To her dismay, they were too big on her. She sighed and searched the closet for a smaller shoe. She found it with a silver gladiator-style sandal that wound around her lower calf with its leather straps. She buckled the shoes and stepped out of the closet. Sadly, she realized that Kish would not be able to comment on her appearance.

"Ready?" Kish asked, seated on the bed. Castor had taken to laying down next to Kish as Kish scratched behind his ear.

"Yup. Are Castor and Pollux going to help lead us there, since I don't know where this guy is and you can't see?"

"Actually, I hadn't even thought of that," said Kish. "I suppose so."

Castor yawned and jumped off the bed. Kish stood up and stretched, spreading out his wings so he could crack the bones in them as well. Ichigo watched as the wings spread far enough to touch either end of the room simultaneously. Kish extended his arm in what Ichigo immediately recognized to be an invitation for her to rest her hand on his forearm. She had often assumed the same posture with men from the royal court back home. Ichigo had so easily forgotten that Kish was royalty just as she was, and knew how ladies from the royal family were to be treated.

Kish wordlessly walked towards where he assumed to be the door. Ichigo sighed and reached for the door handle before Kish's hand found it.

"I could've done that," Kish said in a huff.

Ichigo smirked as the two were led outside by Pollux, with Castor staying by Kish's side. The spacious hall outside the bedroom was still empty. The couple found a doorway Ichigo recongized as the one leading to the wide staircase she had first come up in. They descended the stairs by Pollux's guide. Ichigo was initially concerned for Kish since he could not see where he was going in the staircase, but it dawned on her that he was probably familiar enough with the staircase to go down it blind, since he had lived in the castle his whole life. The further down the two went, the more people they passed on the steps. Most of them were maids. They immediately stepped to the side and muttered, "Your Majesty". Surprisingly, though, Ichigo found that they were staring at her and Kish as they passed instead of bowing their heads like they normally would. Ichigo guessed that they found no reason to, since Kish could not see whether they tipped their heads or not. Ichigo scowled at their disrespect in light of Kish's blindness.

"Kish," Ichigo whispered, inclining her neck so her lips were closer to his ear, "everyone's staring at us as we walk by." Kish snorted.

"Ah. That explains why their voices sound different. Keeping their heads tilted upwards makes their voices louder than if they were averting their eyes like usual."

Kish was cut off by another "Your Majesty" and a staring maid. Kish stopped and turned his head in the direction of the maid, who immediately appeared anxious.

"It isn't polite to stare," Kish said. His voice was frank; not threatening, but cold, unfriendly.

The maid's eyes widened and her face was a deep scarlet as she stuttered, "I-I-I-I'm-my g-greatest apologies, Your M-Majesty!"

"Excused and dismissed," Kish replied, continuing down the stairs. Ichigo, still gripping Kish's forearm, followed him without looking back at the flustered maid who scampered back up the stairs quickly.

"People are really scared of you here," Ichigo commented. Another maid. Another "Your Majesty" with an accompanying stare in both Kish's and Ichigo's direction. This one narrowed her eyes at Ichigo in a way that made her feel both angry and uncomfortable. Kish turned to look at this maid as well.

"It-"

"And what are you looking at?" Ichigo blurted out, interrupting Kish and glaring the maid in the eyes. Both Kish and the maid looked shocked. This maid began to stutter like the last.

"W-wasn't lookin' at ya!" she spat. Ichigo felt Kish's arm tense up.

"You have no right to speak to the princess like that," Kish hissed at the woman. "You have one hour to get out of my castle. If you ever set foot in here again, you won't leave with your head still attached to your body."

The woman's face fell, her eyes revealing her shock and terror.

"And please, by all means, tell the others in your quarters. Maybe then they'll learn some respect," Kish added. And with that, he was marching back down the stairs again. Ichigo made sure to look away from this maid too.

The rest of the people Kish encountered he ignored. All of them continued to stare at Kish and Ichigo, some of them giving Ichigo the same disgusted, narrow-eyed glare the banished maid had given her. Ichigo forced herself to ignore them, too. Finally, after a long, exhausting two minutes, the company arrived at a door at the very bottom of the stairs. Kish took another step, not realizing he was at the end of the steps, and stumbled slightly before catching himself. He sighed.

"Finally, that's over." He reached forward and found the door handle. He pushed down on it and shoved the door open, walking into a dimly-lit, narrow hall. Two lonely torches lit the way for them. Pollux continued to lead the two into the hall. Castor fell behind Ichigo and Kish since the hall was too narrow for him to walk alongside them. Ichigo nervously clutched Kish's arm with both hands as they walked. They reached a wooden door at the end of the hallway. Ichigo heard the noise of movement inside. Kish reached his hand out to feel where the door was. His hand shaped into a fist and he knocked sharply three times. The sound of movement stopped.

_Get ready, _Pollux growled low. _Who knows what this guy will be up to._

The door opened and Ichigo recognized the old magician from before. His face was covered in some sort of blue powder, his eyes protected with a pair of rusty goggles. He grinned when he saw who his visitors were.

"Ah, young master Kish, come to visit Voit the Fantastic? I was wondering when you'd show."

"I keep telling you, you just made that title up!" Kish groaned. "And yeah, as you probably already know, we have a particularly difficult situation and . . . well, unfortunately, we need your help."

"So rude," Voit muttered, rolling his eyes. Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at his apparent lack of respect towards Kish. "Alright, alright, come in ya hooligans."

Kish and Ichigo were shuffled into the room quickly, the cats following behind. Voit looked at them fondly.

"Gentlemen," Voit said with a grin. "Always a pleasure."

Castor and Pollux both tipped their heads to Voit as they entered the room. Kish and Ichigo found a spot to sit on a narrow wooden bench that stretched along the left wall. Voit, after shutting the door, busied himself with wiping the blue substance from his face with a rag from one of his cluttered countertops.

"My, my, this has been such a busy week," he said with a sigh.

"You're telling me," Kish groaned. "Oh, and by the way, I should have you fired for the danger you put Ichigo through. I'm sure there was another way to keep me alive that didn't involve her almost being killed."

Voit shrugged, a smirk creeping up on his wrinkled face. "Ah, but she _didn't _get killed, did she?"

"Not the point," Kish muttered under his breath. He took a deep breath and continued, "Anyway, you're probably aware that Ichigo will be leaving in three days, and we need to know how she's going to get back."

"I'm a lot of things, Your Majesty, but I'm not a fortuneteller," Voit replied. He cleared a small space on the counter and sat on it, choosing to ignore the stools placed randomly around the room. "I can see glimpses into the future in dire times, but it's rare that they can be used to make decisions."

He paused momentarily. Kish opened his mouth to speak, but Voit continued before Kish could interject. "The fact that I saw enough for Ichigo to save your life is phenomenal. It's extremely rare that something like that is revealed to me. It probably occurred in that case because it was a bizarre enough outcome that I needed to intervene in order for it to come to be."

"So you're saying that Ichigo's return to the palace isn't dire enough for you to see it?" Kish interrupted.

"Correct," Voit replied. "However, I have seen something quite powerful I believe is connected. Can you guess what it is?"

Kish didn't have to pause to think. "You saw me attacking the people inside the cathedral on Ichigo's wedding day."

Voit shook his head. "No, wrong. You're not attacking them. A small struggle occurs near the alter, and then they drop dead of their own accord, as if they've all fainted simultaneously. And that's where I'm stumped. I can't seem to figure out what happened. "

Ichigo exchanged looks with Pollux, who glanced up at her after Voit's explanation.

"What you saw," Ichigo said quietly, "or rather, didn't see, is the cathedral filling with poisonous gas. That's partly why we came here. To ask you if we should use it. I suppose that answers our question." Voit's face was grim. Him and Kish were silent.

Voit slid off of the countertop and leaned up against it instead. "Well that complicates things."

"It's just as complicated as it would have been anyway," Kish muttered. "I had just about made up my mind to use the gas before I even came to you."

"I supposed that you would've already made up your mind one way or another," Voit said. "You always stubbornly insist on following your first instinct, my boy. The only reason you came to me was to see if I approved of the plan you already had. I told you my vision because I knew that you would've already thought up your own solution. But no, the gas complicates things because you must remember that Ichigo is among the people in the cathedral."

"You saw her in the vision?"

"No," Voit said. "But I'd be willing to bet she has something to do with that struggle by the alter."

Kish furrowed his brow. "I suppose so."

"How were you planning on moving the princess out of the cathedral before the gas gets to her?" Voit asked.

Kish was silent for a few moments before he exhaled slowly, his lips parting slightly.

"Oh . . . _oh_, I see it now. I'm going to try and open up a teleportation below her feet so she drops into the hole before the gas gets to her."

"Now match that to my vision," Voit muttered in reply.

"Okay, so there's a panic at the alter because Ichigo just dropped through a teleportation hole in the floor," Kish said. "That makes total sense."

"Wait a second," Ichigo said. "Why haven't you done this before? Dropped someone through a hole in the ground? Wouldn't it have been easier to move me to the castle that way too?"

"Yes and no," Kish said hesitantly. "It would have been a lot easier, yes, but it's extremely difficult and very risky because I'm not holding on to you while you move. What happens when you move through a teleportation you didn't open is that you can only float in dark space that messes with your spatial orientation. You are essentially suspended in an alternate dimension that's nothing but darkness. At least, until someone who knows what they're doing can reach through to you from the other side and yank you back to reality.

"My point is, it's extremely dangerous and is really only ever used in emergencies."

Ichigo looked worriedly between Kish and Voit. "And I'm going to have to do this?" she groaned.

"It's going to be hard to have it any other way," Kish replied bluntly. "I can try and move you myself, but then I'd run the risk of exposing myself to the gas, or getting seriously hurt if the people there try to stop me. This is the only way I can think of where there is little to no risk of either of us being injured."

"I see . . ." Ichigo murmured, casting her eyes to the floor.

"I'd still be cautious with the young lady," Voit said suddenly. Kish and Ichigo both raised their heads to him. "Something tells me that this plan is going to get out of hand. Almost nothing goes as smoothly as you intend it to, you know."

"Well then I'll take every precaution to make sure it does," Kish muttered. "Thanks for your help, Voit. I think I know what I must do." He stood from his seat, Ichigo mimicking his movement by standing also.

"What you must do, and what you must _not_ do," Voit added. "A word of caution. Something is stirring in the angel kingdom. I have my suspicions that their prince is beginning his ascent to power. He is clever, and so is the king in the human kingdom. If this were not true, you would not be forced to give Ichigo back to them. It speaks to their ability to plan ahead.

"Prepare for anything to happen. Expect for the worst, despite your preparations. Do not underestimate your adversaries."

* * *

_(a.n._

_Whew. Long chapter and lots of dialog. Sorry if you fell asleep during any of this. As always, special shout out to all of the lovely people who've reviewed this story so far. I get really jazzed about feedback, and I love hearing your reactions to each chapter! Pretty please let me know what you thought.)_


	23. ADEMPTIO::part 1

"So, what are your thoughts on our new guest?"

"Indifference, mostly," Zakuro grunted. The small, petite girl sitting across the table from her sighed.

"It seems you're always indifferent," she moaned. "I thought you'd be more apt to anger or excitement, considering we're no longer the only humans residing here."

"It makes no difference," Zakuro replied. "My feelings towards the princess and her entourage will change depending on their behavior. After all, they are in the spotlight, so to speak. Their actions will reflect on this kingdom's perception of humans as a whole."

"Well so far, they're doing a fabulous job of tarnishing our image and ultimately dooming us to an embarrassing stereotype," said the other girl with a "hmph". She took a dainty sip of tea and cracked an eye open to see Zakuro glaring at her.

"Mint, you have to be more open-minded about this."

"Why should I?" Mint shot back, setting down her teacup. "So far, all everyone knows about is the princess somehow being involved in blinding Kish, and the small monkey human running rampant down the halls in _pants_. For Christ's sake, we might as well just give up now and start flipping over tables and eating food with our hands. Might save us the trouble of trying to prove to everyone that we have inhibitions." Zakuro rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Mint, stop." She spoke sternly and glared Mint dead in the eyes. "Have some common decency and cut them some slack. How would you feel if you were suddenly uprooted from your home and tossed into a new one where everyone inside your home and out is trying to kill you? You'd probably be a little less than graceful too."

"You can't say we don't relate, Zakuro," Mint said, sipping her tea once more. She set the teacup down daintily. "You and I have both faced that malice with grace and dignity."

"Not malice like Ichigo and her friends face," Zakuro replied. "If we wanted to return to the human kingdom, we could blend back in easily. Ichigo could not, and neither could her friends or parents. They're all famous by now. The government will be hunting for them for the rest of their lives. Besides, if I remember correctly, you were the one who turned up on the doorstep to this kingdom sobbing, dressed in rags . . . "

Mint glared into her teacup. "That's different," she muttered. "If I were the princess, I'd know better than to cause so much trouble around here!"

"But you're not the princess," Zakuro replied sharply. "You're human, yes, but you can't begin to comprehend what Ichigo, her friends, and her family are facing."

"Why do you defend them, anyway?" said Mint, raising her voice. "What's in it for you?"

"The peace of knowing I've done the right thing," Zakuro replied stoically. She rose from the table, one of many in the mess hall. Most were empty. "I'd suggest you get to know them a little better. The new humans, that is. It might do you good." With that, she turned and walked away from Mint, who was left alone at the table, staring into her empty teacup.

* * *

Ichigo opened the door to the bedroom, then shut it behind her as she walked in. To her surprise, Kish was already there waiting for her, seated on the edge of the bed.

"How'd they take it?" he asked expectantly.

"Badly," Ichigo muttered, walking over to the bed. "My dad is in hysterics, as you can probably imagine. Mom's begging me not to leave. Lettuce is more hopeful and optimistic than all the rest, and Pudding has it in her head that I'm never coming back."

Kish remained quiet as Ichigo sat down next to him, taking his hand. "I thought you had a meeting to go to," she said.

"In a few minutes, yeah," said Kish. He paused. "They're probably going to want to talk to you, Ichigo. The councilmen." Ichigo cast her eyes to the floor.

"What do I say?" she murmured.

"Anything you need to say, say it," Kish replied. "Just keep in mind that you've done nothing wrong."

"Alright," Ichigo complied with a nod. "Should I be concerned with my appearance?"

"Not in particular," said Kish. "Although it might help if you dressed as maturely as possible."

Ichigo cocked an eyebrow. "And why's that?" she asked.

"The men sitting in the council don't care about our relationship," Kish said bluntly. "All they care about is if said relationship is a tactical advantage. We have to make it look like we know what we're doing."

"Well that's gonna be fun," Ichigo laughed. "We're practically making this up as we go!"

"If you ask me, it's 'so far, so good'," Kish chuckled. "Minus the whole eye situation, that is. Anyway, we need to convince the council that having you here, and sending you back with the angels and humans, is a strategical advantage. Hopefully they take my recovery plan well."

"The plan for mine and Masaya's wedding?" Ichigo murmured. "So we're really going to do it, then? With the gas?"

Kish heaved a tired sigh. "Yes. Yes, we are."

"I thought we'd be able to discuss this a little more," Ichigo muttered. She absent-mindedly rolled Kish's knuckles around with her thumb as she played with his hand. "After all, this is going to involve killing near a hundred people, some of whom I know personally."

"I thought you hated the rest of the royal family," Kish grunted.

"Yes, well, hate is a strong word," said Ichigo. "Besides, I wouldn't exactly wish death on them. Especially not people like Masaya, who have really done nothing wrong."

Ichigo could feel the eyeless Kish glaring at her from under the blindfold.

"I-I mean I don't think he deserves to die," she corrected quickly, backtracking. "He's only been doing his job."

"Yeah, his job of being a complete asshole," Kish growled. "In my opinion, he should be the first one to hit the floor after we gas the place."

Ichigo scowled. "Look, I know you don't particularly like Masaya, and to be honest I'm pretty mad at him too, but you have to understand that I don't wish death on him. I don't think it'd be right or fair."

"It wasn't right or fair when he sent that note, asking for you back in exchange for my eyes," muttered Kish. "If he won't play nice, we have no reason to either."

"My point is," Ichigo continued, largely ignoring Kish, "I want to be able to warn a few choice people about the plan. Not give them the exact details, but vaguely hint that something will happen to them . . . you know?"

"No, I don't know," Kish replied bluntly. "And honestly, I don't like that idea in the slightest."

Ichigo let out a huff of frustration and let go of Kish's hand. "Can you at least see a little bit of my perspective? Not wanting to kill?"

"Sure. I understand not wanting to kill the innocents," said Kish. "But not wanting to kill Masaya? That's where I'm lost."

Ichigo heaved a sigh, recognizing that this was an argument she could not win. Rising from her seat, she made to walk towards the closet on her side of the room. She was stopped by Kish's hand roughly snatching her wrist. She turned to look at him.

"What?" she snapped. Kish's face changed when he heard the tone of her voice. He paused to take a deep breath before speaking.

"I just . . . I don't want to fight. With you. I mean, you just got here and . . . I'm sorry," he mumbled quietly.

Ichigo, surprised at his unusual apology for his behavior, was at a loss for words. She slowly walked back to the bed and resumed her seated position on the edge. She placed a warm hand on Kish's leg.

"Kish, we're all a little crazy around here lately. Everyone's stressed, tired and irritated, you and me included. How about we just get this stupid meeting thing over with and talk about the plan later?"

Kish ran a hand through his hair as he sighed again. "Alright," he agreed, grasping Ichigo's hand in his. He gave it a light squeeze. "I have to go. Get changed into something formal, and I'll send someone to get you when we need you present."

"I'm not coming right away?" Ichigo asked, furrowing her brow.

"No," Kish replied. "The rest of the council might take it wrong if I show up with you at the start of the meeting, but you can count on the fact that they'll ask for you during it. Don't take it too personally."

"No, I understand," Ichigo said. She gave Kish a brief rub on the back before standing up. "You'd better go."

Kish rose from the bed after Ichigo. He reached a hand out and felt Ichigo's side, where he grabbed her hipbone and pulled her back towards him, making quick work of wrapping his arms around her waist. Ichigo let out a light gasp before relaxing into Kish's embrace as he squeezed her from behind.

"Just remember," he said into her hair. "Those councilmen see you as a lady, but also as a tactical tool. I don't see you as objectively as they, but I may seem like I do by the way I refer to you. I just want you to know that I'll only say those things to convince those councilmen, not because I actually believe them. Okay?"

Ichigo, narrowing her eyes, nodded slowly. "Alright," she mumbled suspiciously.

Kish let go of Ichigo's waist. "Would you mind getting my crown for me?" he asked her. "It should be on the dresser under the window."

Ichigo saw it glinting in the light and went over to pick it up. She noticed it still had small flecks of blood on it, both black blood and red.

"Kish, this has blood on it!" Ichigo proclaimed, bringing the crown back to Kish. Kish extended his hand and took the crown from Ichigo. He nonchalantly went around the crown with a corner of his shirt. Ichigo rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"_Really?_" she asked accusingly. Kish shrugged and placed the crown on his head, letting the snakes heads fall in between where his eyes would be. Ichigo sighed. Admittedly, the crown did look cleaner. But something was off.

"Kish, I think you should go without the blindfold to this meeting."

"And why's that?" Kish was quick to say.

"Well you're only wearing it because it scares people to see your glowing eye sockets," Ichigo noted. "But in this case I think you need that factor of intimidation."

"Hmm," Kish uttered thoughtfully. He raised his hands to the back of his head and undid the knot binding the blindfold to his head. It fell off his face and into his hand. Ichigo could immediately see why everyone else was scared of Kish's eye sockets. Their glow was eerie, terrifying, and very, very bright. Ichigo and Kish both sat in silence as Ichigo stared in wordless wonder at Kish's crown-donned, eyeless face.

"So, intimidating?" Kish said after a few moments.

Ichigo nodded before realizing that Kish could not see her nod. "Yeah," she said quietly. Snapping out of her trance, she said, "You're going to be late! Take Castor and Pollux with you so you can find your way. I think I saw them outside the door."

Kish nodded and walked towards the door. Ichigo made to step out of the way, but Kish reached out and felt where her back was, stopping beside her.

"See you down there, kitten," he murmured. He bent his head down and gave Ichigo a quick, hard kiss. Then, his hand left her back and he was out the door, shutting it behind him.

Ichigo heaved a long sigh, staring absent-mindedly at the door that Kish had just gone through. She shook her head and turned around on her heel, facing her closet.

"Okay, Ichigo," she said to herself, "Time to stop being the victim and start being the princess. Let's do this."

* * *

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, this is all getting to be a bit ridiculous."

Kish held his tongue, crossing his arms after hearing the curt remark of one of the older councilmen. There were fifty in all, seated around a long, rectangular table. Kish sat at the head of it, occasionally turning his head in the direction of one of the men who spoke as if he could see them.

"Gentlemen, I'm aware that we are dealing with unique tribulation," Kish responded cooly. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but, as I'm sure you know, we cannot reverse what has already been done. What we _can _do is twist this unfortunate turn of events towards our benefit."

"As long as Princess Ichigo resides in this castle, ruin will follow her to us!" exclaimed one of the men. "If she leaves, our troubles go with her." Kish's face remained expressionless.

"Again, dear sirs, I can understand your frustration because the situation we are currently in is the first of its kind. Let me assure you that this is all for the best, and we will emerge stronger because of it. Princess Ichigo is essential to restoring my eyes back to their normal state. Also, as I already pointed out to you, her wedding ceremony is key to wiping out key players for both the angels and the humans."

"We are well aware of that," interjected another councilman. "What we don't understand is why the princess shouldn't just die with the rest of them. If we keep her alive, we risk a second era of human power with her as their leader."

"Ichigo no longer considers herself part of the human court," Kish replied, his voice calm and collected. "She plans to integrate herself into the demon culture. The only concern we should have concerning her influence on the humans is that more humans may consider integration into our culture as she is doing, essentially following her lead. Even then, I hesitate to say that would be a problem."

The room was silent for a minute or so as the men gathered there contemplated Kish's words.

"It would certainly be a shift in culture," one of the men said. "Having the demons and humans coincide."

"I don't like it," Kish heard another man mutter.

"Who would govern them?" one of the men asked. "The humans, that is. If we manage to wipe out their king and most of the leaders in the court, who will rule in their stead?"

"I've considered the same thing myself," Kish replied. "It only makes sense to say that we would rule them since we were the ones who conquered them, but somehow I feel as though that would result in chaos and rebellion on their part. So I bring this point to you again, gentlemen: Princess Ichigo is key to tearing down the governing rulers of the human kingdom. Once we have them out of the way, the princess will take over as their ruler, which will become, essentially, a 'colony' of our possession. The people will naturally look up to her since she already has the image of a ruler around her, without being an outside figure as I am."

The room was silent once again.

"Is the princess available for consult?" a councilman said. Others around him bobbed their heads in agreement with his inquisition.

"Yes, yes, bring her here."

"I have some questions for her."

Kish turned his head to the side, where a young servant boy stood waiting.

"Please fetch Princess Ichigo from the eighth floor bedroom on the south wing," he said softly.

"Yes Your Majesty," the boy said with a slight bow. He skittered off quickly, broke into a run down the halls, swung open a door and bolted up the spiral stairs, thrilled to be a part of the important meeting taking place in front of him. No more than a few minutes had passed before he gave three sharp knocks at the old wooden door to the bedroom. He was panting profusely, reaching his arm up to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Who is it?" called a feminine voice from inside.

The boy had to call out his message between breaths for air. "A message sent from His Majesty-requesting your presence-in the meeting hall-Your Highness!"

* * *

"Well we certainly have enough men to staff that sort of police force," one of the councilmen continued nonchalantly. "And even so, the occupation of the human kingdom would create more jobs for our people. I suppose there will be many curious souls wanting to explore the curiosities of the new kingdom."

"But the angel kingdom will be a whole different story," another councilman remarked. "We haven't even begun to touch on what would happen there. It would be much more difficult to integrate ourselves into that culture, and frankly, I don't think I want to."

Kish listened to the discussion with alert ears, digesting every word as it came from the mouths of the men at the table. So far, they had reached some sort of conclusion concerning the human kingdom—Kish's plan of integration could work, if enough people decided it was worth the effort. Some of the older, more traditional men still wanted to burn and massacre the whole land. They had yet to take a vote on the matter, awaiting Ichigo's presence. Kish silently hoped that Ichigo could withstand the impending vocal attacks of the councilmen sitting before him.

"If we run with the earlier idea of integrating the humans," one of the men said, "then we need another figurehead in the angel kingdom."

"Too bad they all hate us," someone else mumbled. A few of the men chuckled.

Just then the servant boy came rounding the corner. He bowed respectfully and the room went silent. Kish recognized the sound of his small footsteps and realized that the boy was in their presence once more.

"Announcing the arrival of Her Royal Highness, Princess Ichigo," the boy said loudly, almost yelling as he puffed his chest out in pride. He stepped to the side and bowed respectfully as Ichigo strode into the room.

All Kish could hear was the click-click-click of heels on the floor. What he didn't see was the alarmed expressions on the council's faces. Ichigo was dressed in a floor-length, emerald colored gown. It shimmered in the light and fit her slim body like a glove. She had ruffled sleeves that fell off her shoulders to form a wide boat neckline. Her hair was curled carefully in delicate rings, her face done up with a touch of makeup. She was the very picture of elegance. As she approached the table, Kish rose from his seat as customary in the presence of a lady. The rest of the councilmen followed suit, their eyes still locked on Ichigo. Kish extended a hand outward, which Ichigo took with her slender fingers. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the familiar scent of her perfume.

"Ichigo," he said softly. "This is the complete royal council. They'd like to have a word with you concerning the fate of the human kingdom."

Ichigo feigned enlightenment as if she wasn't already aware of why her presence was needed. "Understood," she said. Her voice surprised her. She expected herself to sound meek and quiet, but her voice was louder and deeper than she supposed it would be. The councilmen seemed surprised as well, glancing around at each other and raising their eyebrows.

"Please, take my seat," Kish offered, stepping to the side to allow Ichigo room. Kish continued to grasp her hand as Ichigo gracefully sat down in the large chair at the end of the table. She slipped her hand out of Kish's and folded her hands on her lap, taking the time to lift her deep, brown eyes to the men seated in front of her. Kish rested a hand on the top of the chair, standing nonchalantly by Ichigo's side.

"Before we begin," Ichigo said confidently, "I would like to extend my thanks to you fine gentlemen for tolerating my presence in your establishment, and in your kingdom as a whole. It's an honor to be welcomed so graciously to your home."

The men looked at each other in surprise, none of them knowing what to say. They were torn between being impressed by the princess's eloquence and being intimidated by her confident stature. Finally, one of them spoke.

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness," he said. A few others mumbled in agreement. Kish, seeing that this conversation was screeching to an awkward halt, decided to interject.

"Gentlemen, when we summoned Princess Ichigo, we were discussing the possibility of her taking charge of the human kingdom as it is established as a demon colony." Ichigo's face remained stoic, but she was internally shocked. Kish had not mentioned the possibility that she would be the new ruler.

"Ah, yes," one of the men said, punctuating his statement of recollection with a cough. "That's right. Your Highness, we were concerned about your role as leader in the new human colony." Ichigo mentally reminded herself to remain calm as she spoke._ Be the princess. But be the pawn._

"I wasn't aware that we were planning for a colony," she said, fighting the urge to glare at Kish. "In my opinion, the concept of a colony is less than ideal for a large, culturally rich race such as the humans. A better term would be 'state'. Or, simply, to allow the human race to keep its title of 'kingdom', while still assuming new leadership. But yes, I do agree that there needs to be new leadership established over the human kingdom. I know firsthand that the current rulers are badly corrupted.

"As for the leadership over the kingdom, I would be honored to hold that position, but I understand that it is not mine to accept. In my current state, I am under the complete mercy of the demon government, seeing as I hold little power over the human kingdom or yours. Whatever decision you decide on is my decision as well. I await your judgement."

"That is very humble of you, your Highness," remarked one of the councilmen. "But please, keep in mind that you are a trove of knowledge we have yet to tap into. Your opinions over the fate of the human kingdom vastly outweigh those of the council."

"Your words are kind," Ichigo replied. "I will gladly provide any information you find yourself in need of."

"Something about this doesn't sit right," said one of the men. "How do we know we can trust you with any information?" His accusing eyes bore into Ichigo as she considered his question. Kish's grip tightened on the chair Ichigo was seated on.

"You present a valid question," Ichigo said slowly. "I can understand why you would feel uneasy. I am a stranger here, and a stranger that you are used to thinking of as your enemy. But rest assured that I am, for lack of a better phrase, a cat without its claws." She smirked at her own analogy, some of the men sitting before her grinning at the pun.

"What I mean to say is that I am powerless," Ichigo continued. "Whatever information you give me would be useless to me if I would decide to switch sides. In less than two weeks, I am set to be married to Prince Masaya of the angels in order to form a joint relationship between the humans and the angels, linking them together similar to how we are considering a bond between demons and humans. If that joining of humans and angels occurs, all of the information you fed to me will be void, since the takeover of the human kingdom would be entirely impossible."

"But what if, after you turned on us, we executed His Majesty's plan and eliminated the governing forces for both humans and angels?"

"Then I die too," Ichigo said solemnly. "As I said before, I have no power to decide what will become of me. My will is yours."

Silence stifled the room. The men at the table looked at each other gravely. Kish, who had not spoken in quite some time, broke the tension.

"Tomorrow marks the third day that Ichigo has resided in the castle," Kish said slowly. "According to the note we received from the angels, she will be returning to them at sunset tomorrow. This is the last chance you gentlemen have to consult with her before she is returned. Are we at least in agreement that Ichigo must be spared from death during the raid, in order to achieve a tactical advantage in the aftermath?"

A chorus of "yes"s and"aye"s echoed through the room, the men bobbing their heads in agreement.

"Good," Kish said with a slight smile. "On to the next matter of importance. Are we in agreement that Ichigo will be appointed as ruler of this new colony?"

The council looked uneasy. Kish failed to notice, but Ichigo saw the shift right away in the anxious, muddled faces the men wore. She could tell that this vote was going to fall through.

"I'd like to propose an alternate solution," Ichigo said abruptly, scrambling to keep Kish's idea afloat. All eyes were instantly on her. "I will accept the position as leader of the new human kingdom, but I do not want to be alone. I propose that I will be under the guidance of His Majesty Kish, while I act as a governess of sorts. His Majesty will remain the ruler of the kingdom, but he will oversee it from a distance as I deal with the matters of it directly."

The buzzing of hushed voices swept across the table. Ichigo's eyes darted between the men discussing her idea. She felt Kish's fingers anxiously drumming on the edge of her chair.

"Good catch," she heard Kish murmur. Ichigo caught herself smirking.

"Your Majesty, thoughts?" one of the men said, speaking louder than the hushed murmuring around him. The noise of chatter stopped at the rising of the question.

"I'm in favor of Ichigo's solution," Kish responded immediately. "Are we in agreement, gentlemen?"

The men looked each other. At first, nothing. Then a quiet, "Yes, Your Majesty." Then another. And another. Before long, more than half of the council had responded in agreement with Kish.

"Fantastic," said Kish. "Then we have reached a conclusion. Princess Ichigo will be the governess of the new human kingdom, and I will oversee her."

"Your Majesty, pardon the interruption," said one of the men. "But I was under the impression that the princess would be appointed queen."

The gentleman seemed to realize his mistake when the rest of the councilmen stared at him as if he were crazy. Ichigo herself wasn't sure how to react to the statement. Kish had not indicated one way or another whether she was to become his queen. Kish was quick to speak.

"Dear sir, your question encroaches on my personal matters," he said sternly. His face remained void of emotion, but his voice was noticeably louder than before. "As of now, Princess Ichigo's future role is as governess of the human kingdom. We are to discuss the matter no more beyond that. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," was the quick and muddled reply of the councilman. Ichigo tried not to appear troubled at Kish's rebuke. His irritation gave away his sensitivity on the matter. She figured he had likely considered the question beforehand.

Kish was quick to recover. "As I was about to say . . . We can wait on the matter of deciding the fate of the angels. It will be a lengthy process and our time here is almost out. I propose we meet again in two days time to discuss what is to be done with them. For now, this meeting is adjourned. Thank you for your time and patience, gentlemen."

The men stood and bowed. Ichigo rose with them, but found it strange to bow, so she refrained. As the councilmen gathered their things, Kish extended his forearm to Ichigo. She placed her hand on his arm and walked with him as they traveled to the doors. They walked in silence, Ichigo discreetly helping to guide Kish with varying pressure on his arm as they walked. She noticed that, when the servants around them addressed Kish with the "Your Majesty" greeting, they were bowing. Ichigo guessed that word had spread on Kish's quick temper in dealing with servants who were disrespectful to him in his blindness.

Suddenly, Ichigo noticed a girl walking beside her, observing her and Kish, but not addressing Kish directly. She looked Ichigo up and down with an inquisitive eye. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her. Then, Ichigo realized that this girl was not a demon. Her wings were bird wings, small and blue.

"Pardon me, can I help you?" Ichigo asked accusingly. The girl walking beside her smirked.

"I'm afraid not," she said with a sigh. Her voice was very feminine, and she lacked the dialect of the demon race. Kish seemed to grow aware of the girl's presence. He sneered.

"Mint, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now," he said through his teeth.

"But it's been sooo looong since we've spoken," Mint said in a drawling tone. "Not since you found a new human to play with."

"Excuse me?" Ichigo spat, glaring daggers at Mint. Mint remained cool and collected, a smile still playing on her lips. Kish growled in frustration and began to walk faster, starting up the spiral staircase. Mint followed them, much to Ichigo's displeasure.

"Princess Ichigo . . . how utterly _selfless_ of you to grace us with your presence," Mint said, her eyes piercing into Ichigo. "I'm sure everyone is so impressed with your exotic lifestyle and the liveliness of your entourage of human commoners. What a joy. Of course, at some point or another, the rest of the kingdom will come to terms with the fact that the ruling force of this kingdom is now in shambles because of you. Oh well. It's all a playground to you, isn't it, Princess? Leaving the mess up to us, then? As always?"

Kish spun around and leaned uncomfortably close to Mint. He hissed through his teeth as he spoke: "Mint, I'm not going to ask you again. Leave. Now."

"Did I hurt your feelings?" Mint said, seemingly unfazed by Kish's methods of intimidation. "You agree with me though, Kish; we need to talk."

Kish let out another frustrated growl. "Fine. Now leave."

Mint smirked and turned from the two. As she walked, she said over her shoulder, "Oh, and Princess? Might want to alter that dress a bit. You look ridiculous with that bump in your skirt where your tail starts." Then, she turned the corner and was out of sight.

* * *

_(a.n.: Sorry this took forever to finish, guys. I've been really busy lately with finals coming up and haven't found much time to write. Plus, this chapter was a beast to finish because, like the last chapter, it's laden with information to keep the plot intact, which is not my favorite kind of content. Oh! On that note, you may have noticed that this story has proper cover art now. I painted it in Photoshop and I'm sorta satisfied with it . . ? Not sure if I'm quite happy with how it turned out but I'm a perfectionist so I'd probably never be happy with it, no matter how long I spent working on it. If I get some people asking about it, I can put up a deviantart link so you can see the full size._  
_As always, please let me know how you liked this chapter! I know it wasn't the most interesting, but I'd still like to hear what you thought of it. It really truly makes my day to see that people are reviewing my story. Thank you so much to those who have reviewed up until this point! You're awesome.)_


	24. ADEMPTIO::part 2

_"Oh, and Princess? Might want to alter that dress a bit. You look ridiculous with that bump in your skirt where your tail starts." Then, she turned the corner and was out of sight._

Ichigo was bright red and close to tears. She covered her face with her hands and walked close to Kish, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Kish took to curling an arm around her waist as they continued up the staircase.

"Don't pay attention to anything she says," he muttered. "She's always like that. Don't take it personally."

"But the part about finding a human to play with? And me ruining the whole kingdom? And my awful dress?" Ichigo whimpered.

"Like I said, don't listen to her," Kish responded, louder this time. "Her words don't mean a thing. It's all just her useless opinion."

Ichigo was silent for a moment as they walked. "Kish, that girl . . . she was human too."

"Yes, I know."

"Where did she come from?"

"The same place you did."

Ichigo, now both disturbed and annoyed with Kish's quick replies, said, "Well obviously, yes. I mean, why here?"

"I'd rather not talk about her right now," Kish said gruffly. Ichigo sighed in frustration, but grudgingly understood that Kish would be reluctant to talk about the mean-spirited girl. She resolved to bring it up with him at a later time.

The two reached the door near the top of the staircase. Ichigo pulled it open and stepped through first, guiding Kish through the doorway. They both entered the vacant hallway, Kish still grasping onto Ichigo's waist.

"How did I do with the council?" Ichigo asked, posing a different topic under the pressure of the uncomfortable silence.

"Much, much better than I was expecting," Kish replied. He was quick to add: "Not that I thought you would be bad at it. I suppose it's because I'm not used to seeing you as royalty." He found the doorframe to the bedroom door. His hand slid down until it found the door handle, which he pushed open as he walked in.

"Likewise," Ichigo said with a sigh. "I just wish you'd given me a little bit more warning on the whole 'ruling the humans' thing."

Ichigo reached into her bag sitting on the bedside table, pulling out her hairbrush. Kish sat down on the edge of the bed as he spoke. "Well, we didn't start talking about it until the meeting had commenced. I suppose I had the idea in the back of my mind, but it didn't surface fully until the council and I were discussing the plan for your supposed wedding day."

Ichigo didn't say anything. She simply stared off into space, absent-mindedly brushing her hair. The light streaming into the room was an orange color, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon.

Her mind wandered back to what happened two days ago, at the battle with the angels. She would be returning to them tomorrow. Who knows what they had in store for her, especially for her wedding day. After all, she'd already given her angel wing elixir to Kish, so they'd have to either think of something else to do to her or get her some more of the "angelic" substance. Ichigo's hand stopped brushing as she stared at the floor in shock.

"Wait a minute," she said aloud. She turned towards Kish, who was busying himself with putting the blindfold back over his eyes. His wings. They were still large, whole, and feathery. And it had been nearly three days.

"Kish!" Ichigo cried. "Your wings aren't gone!"

"Uh . . . sorry? What?" Kish mumbled, obviously confused.

"The elixir I gave you was temporary!" Ichigo burst out, rising from her seat and crossing her arms. Her eyes darted across the floorboards of the room, her mind searching for answers. "Why haven't your wings returned to the state they were before? The elixir is only meant to last for a day—my wedding day!"

"Who told you this?" Kish asked cautiously.

"Well Lettuce gave me the little box the vial came in, and there was a note on the vial from the medic specifying what the potion was and when it was to be used," Ichigo replied. "Not that it matters anyway . . . I just don't know why it isn't gone from your system!"

Kish shrugged. "Could be because the elixir was only meant for humans."

"But that doesn't explain why there would be no change long after the day is up," Ichigo mumbled. "If something went wrong at all, it would result in some kind of mutation. The fact that the elixir's properties hasn't left your body tells me that . . ."

Her voice trailed off. She lifted a hand to her lips and touched them gently as her face fell.

". . . it was never meant to be temporary," Kish whispered, finishing her sentence. Ichigo nodded gravely.

"Oh no," she whispered. "They were going to force those wings on me forever. And I wouldn't have known. Oh god . . ." Ichigo's legs bucked and she slumped to her knees, her body trembling. Kish heard the light thump and quickly found his way to where Ichigo was. He dropped to his knees and reached out his hand, finding Ichigo's shoulder with his touch. Her whole body was wracked with fear.

"If they meant to give me those wings for the rest of my life . . . without me knowing . . ." Ichigo whispered weakly, ". . . then what do you think they're going to do to me when I go back tomorrow . . ." Kish put an arm around Ichigo's shoulder, using the other hand to move her head to the crook of his neck, where he nestled his nose into her hair.

"They're not going to do anything to you," Kish said sternly, "because you won't let them."

"It's not a matter of whether or not I let them!" Ichigo protested, her voice trembling. "It's a matter of them forcing me into what they want. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. It's not like anything is different now."

"Oh, _everything_ is different now," Kish insisted. "They have nothing to threaten you with. Nothing to hold against you. You have nothing to lose but yourself. And they can't have anything happen to you before the wedding takes place. You are untouchable, and they know it. The fear will be written on their faces, plain as day. Just wait. You'll see." Ichigo let out a quiet breath as Kish's words sunk in. She slowly realized that he was correct. She was untouchable.

"Besides," Kish continued, stroking Ichigo's hair tenderly, "after seeing you in that council meeting, I know that you're a better speaker than you make yourself out to be."

"I'm really not," Ichigo mumbled. "It's just how I've been raised."

"It came as such a shock to me," said Kish. "The way you spoke, that is. Took my breath away."

"Why?" Ichigo murmured inquisitively.

"I keep forgetting you're a princess," Kish replied. "It's like . . . you just flipped a switch, and you turned into a regal, ladylike token of royalty. Honestly, I didn't know you had it in you."

Ichigo smirked, letting out a light "hmph" before saying, "Well, if we're going to make this last, you're going to have to get used to it. You'll be around me while I'm in 'princess mode' quite a bit."

The two figures eased into silence as Ichigo's words brought on a new thought for both of them. Making it last. Ichigo acting regal. The idea of Ichigo as queen passed their minds simultaneously. Ichigo reacted by pulling away from Kish's chest, staring at her hands as she folded them in front of her. Kish took a deep breath before starting.

"Hey, Ichigo," he said in almost a whisper. "I know this whole queen business has been bothering you."

He stopped, gauging for a reaction. Ichigo gave none. After a minute or so passed, he decided to keep talking.

"I just want you to know that it's been weighing heavily on me for a while now. I . . . I just need you to stay with me. I can't say if I've made up my mind one way or another, but I honestly can't picture myself with another girl. Ever. I want you to know that."

Pause.

". . . but I also want you to know that I'm still a reckless, rude, short-tempered teenager. And I honestly don't know if both of us are going to make it out of this mess unscathed."

Ichigo's chest tightened. She looked up at Kish. He had his head bowed, the blindfold still covering his eye sockets. His hands gripped his knees tightly.

"Ichigo, all I know right now is that I love you. That's all I know; it's all I need to know. You're the most important thing in my life, and I'll do anything it takes to bring you back."

"You talk as if I'm already gone," Ichigo said suddenly. It was the first thing she had said in a while, and it seemed to shock Kish, whose mouth opened slightly as he sat in silence. In a slight, subtle movement, Kish's eyebrows moved downwards in an expression Ichigo couldn't read. Suddenly, Kish's hand shot out from his leg to touch Ichigo's face. As soon as his hand found her face, Ichigo hardly knew what was happening before she felt Kish's lips roughly pressing against hers.

Her breath caught in her throat as Kish's second hand found the small of her back. He lifted her towards him and slowly brought her body on to the bed, keeping himself poised above her with his mouth fully encompassing hers in a passionate kiss. Her face grew hot as he kissed her. He kissed her like he'd never see her again.

One of his hands tangled itself in Ichigo's hair while the other held a firm grip on Ichigo's hip. He slowly closed the gap between their two bodies, lowering himself so he was lying directly on top of her as he kissed her. Ichigo inhaled quickly through her nose, hesitantly bringing her hands to his back and closing her eyes. Kish released Ichigo's lips and instantly was latched on to her neck. He pressed his lips against her skin fervently, his tongue grazing the surface of her neck.

Ichigo's breath was heavy, her eyes remaining closed as she relished the feeling of Kish's lips on her skin. It sent chills up her spine that made her arch her back against Kish's body. Kish took notice of Ichigo's reaction and breathed a warm, steady breath across Ichigo's slightly damp skin.

"Kish . . ." she moaned. "This is so sudden . . ."

Ichigo heard Kish let out a small "hm" of amusement as he released a short breath of air on her neck.

"Only because you suddenly reminded me that you'll be gone within a day," came Kish's voice. It was dark, different from his usual tone. Ichigo noticed the change immediately. Kish lifted his head. Ichigo observed the smirk on his face.

"I just had an idea," he said slyly. He pushed himself up off of Ichigo, continuing to straddle her with his legs, his arms on either side of her head. "You haven't seen the city yet."

"Not sure if I want to," Ichigo said weakly. "Especially with you in the condition you're in. Besides, wouldn't it be dangerous to leave the castle?"

"Not of no one knows who we are!" Kish said with a grin. Ichigo could read the familiar, child-like grin on his face as easily as if he had his eyes back. He swung his leg over Ichigo and stood up from the bed. He stepped forward and hit his foot on the dresser he was trying to find. Ichigo propped herself up on her elbows and watched curiously.

Kish reached into the top drawer of the dresser. Digging around a bit, he pulled out a plain-looking wooden box about the size of a jewelry box.

"Wherever I go, I make sure this comes with me." He opened the box and pulled out a little vial, similar in appearance to the one Ichigo's elixir was contained in. The liquid inside was clear, and half-gone. Ichigo eyed it suspiciously.

"What's that . . ?" she asked curiously.

"I use this when I go out," Kish said simply. "The liquid in this one is clear, right?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said softly.

"Good. Means I picked the right one," Kish muttered. He popped open the cork and took a quick sip. Ichigo opened her mouth to protest, but Kish had already downed a small amount of whatever it was. He twisted the cork back onto the vial and grinned. "Watch this."

Within moments Ichigo noticed his wings shifting. They grew smaller and smaller until they were of average size. The feathers began to shrink into the membrane of the wing, the little spines retracting until they were gone into the membrane of the wings that now looked just like demon wings.

"You have demon wings again," Ichigo gasped. "How . . .?"

"A gift from Voit. I had to hassle him to get him to give me a bottle of this stuff. It shrinks my wings to normal size. I use this occasionally when I need to go somewhere in public and I don't want anyone to know who I am. It'll wear off in a few hours."

Kish paused to put the half-full vial back in the wooden box.

"You've seen me use something similar before. It's basically the same potion as the one that I took when I went to your masquerade ball, except in reverse, " Kish said. "I was actually a bit worried that my wings would stay feathery. Glad to hear they changed back to demon wings."

"Wait, can I have some of that?" Ichigo asked. "You know, since apparently we're going out somewhere. To disguise myself." Kish raised an eye-less eyebrow and hesitated to set down the wooden box in his hands.

"I don't know . . ." he muttered. "I'm not sure that this is safe for humans. I'm thinking you don't want to risk it."

Ichigo sighed. "Alright," she muttered. "But how am I going to hide my identity?"

"Don't ask me," Kish said with a shurg.

"Well, haven't you thought this through splendidly," Ichigo muttered sarcastically. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up. Kish set the wooden box down on the dresser surface. Ichigo watched him carefully, her eyes following every niche and movement of his body. She felt a strange sense of sadness, loss. Longing, even. Kish's sudden shift in mood confused her. Why was he avoiding her now, of all times? She quietly walked over to him and gently wrapped her arms around his neck. Kish flinched at her touch, surprised. Ichigo slowly leaned into him and delicately touched her nose to his, just to gauge how he would react.

"Weren't we in the middle of something?" she whispered onto his cracked lips. She saw Kish's throat bob as he swallowed.

"Ichigo," he murmured slowly. Ichigo felt his arms slink around her waist, loosely holding her body. "Not that I mind, but . . . what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"I should ask the same about you," Ichigo replied. She found it difficult to read Kish's expression. He was reluctant to touch Ichigo beyond a loose, limp embrace, which contributed to her sense of confusion.

"Why this, so quickly?" she asked frankly. Kish's lips continued to hold no reply. He was non-responsive besides his slow breathing. "Was it something I did? Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Kish murmured, turning his face from Ichigo. "It's nothing. Don't sweat it."

"Don't leave me hanging, Kish," Ichigo said, his name sliding off her tongue eloquently. Kish noticed the bizarre quality to Ichigo's voice and responded accordingly, dropping the casual disposition he had assumed beforehand. He lowered his head to murmur in her ear. She felt his lips lightly brush the surface of her skin as he spoke slowly:  
"Ichigo, the problem is that I can't control myself around you. You can't even begin to imagine what I want to do to you right now. How much I crave you. Your body. Your lips. Everything about you makes me want you. But I can't have you. Not now. Not without my eyes. Without them, it feels unnatural. I want to be able to see you. The look in your eyes when I'm with you. Ichigo, do you understand?"

"Yes," Ichigo whispered, her mind swimming with ideas of what Kish would want to see. "But what . . . what if I don't come back . . . what if it never happens . . . what then."

She didn't ask a question so much as state an idea. She saw Kish's jaw tighten, his body growing stiff.

"Don't say that," he gruffly muttered.

"But what if," Ichigo replied stubbornly.

"You can't talk like that, Ichigo!" Kish said suddenly, his arms tightening around her. Ichigo was startled, her face freezing up. "We're going to make it. Both of us, together. Ichigo, when you talk like that, it makes me feel like you've given up. I can't stand hearing you talk like that."

The two were silent at Kish's outburst. Ichigo couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself for trying to pry a reaction out of Kish.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, shutting her eyes in shame.

"God, I need a drink," Kish mumbled, mostly to himself. He kissed Ichigo on the head before releasing her from his arms. His voice slipped back to a casual tone. "Like I said, Ichigo, don't sweat it. I promise you'll forget about tomorrow as soon as we get where we're going. Think you can disguise yourself well enough?"

"I guess," Ichigo mumbled. She was still distressed over Kish's intense feelings towards the confrontation happening the next day, but hoped that whatever this field trip was that he was taking her on, it would help calm his nerves. She walked over to the vanity set near her closet and began to cake on her makeup as much as possible. Focused on her appearance in the mirror, lit only by candlelight, she almost didn't notice the thumping and kicking noises coming from Kish's closet.

"Need help getting dressed?" Ichigo asked over her shoulder.

"Only if you insist, sweetheart," came the voice from the closet. "I never say no to having my clothes removed by my kitten."

Ichigo's first instinct was to scrunch up her face in disdain and yell something about "you pervert", but oddly enough, she found herself grinning at Kish's offhand teasing. His lighthearted jokes had been absent as of late, and it made her happy to hear him make them again, no matter how distasteful or lewd.

For old times sake, she giggled and yelled back, "You're such a tease! Forget I said anything, you perv!"

* * *

It was nearly midnight when the two teleported to an alleyway in the city. Ichigo, teetering to regain her balance in her black heels, clung on to Kish's arm and looked around in amazement as they walked to the main pathway. She had parted her bangs and thrown her hair up in a messy updo to help disguise her identity, along with thickly lining her eyes with the black pencil. Kish had assured her that she did not need to cover up her ears or tail, so she left them untouched, against her greater judgement.

Kish chose to change into black denim and a green casual shirt with a black jacket tossed over it, nothing uncharacteristic at all. His hair was stuffed into a black, slouching hat. He had also wrapped his arms in white bandages to disguise his scars, but the blindfold remained. Ichigo was suspicious of someone possibly recognizing him because of his half-hearted disguise.

She realized she had never seen the city except on the outskirts where she had saved Kish. The buildings in the middle of the city were much taller, at least three or four stories high in some places. All of them had brightly-painted facades, some of them depicting whole scenes and stories along their walls. As they walked, Ichigo noticed the tremendous amount of people out at night, stumbling along the brick street beneath them. Most were in groups of two or three, and almost all of them were demons. Almost.

Ichigo spotted the first one almost immediately. Her grip on Kish's arm tightened.

"Kish, there's another human. She has cat ears like me." The girl passed the two without glancing at them.

"It's after hours now, Ichigo," Kish muttered. "This is the time when all different types come out to play."

"But I thought the kingdoms were segregated!" Ichigo hissed in confusion. "That was the whole problem we were talking about in the meeting today!"

"On paper, yes, we are," said Kish. He walked up to a relatively small building and yanked open the door. "But the night crowd isn't one for standards."

Ichigo's eyes didn't have to adjust to a new light because the room they entered was already dimly lit. The static of chatter around her was accompanied by the sound of a piano and a violinist that were seated in the back of the room. The spacious floor was littered with tables and chairs, most occupied by a variety of people. Almost half were not of the demon race. To her surprise, Ichigo even spotted two angels.

"What is this place?" she called to Kish over the noise.

"Think of it as a middle finger to racial segregation," Kish said back. "I'm gonna need you to lead me to the bar, because I can't tell where the hell I'm going with all this noise. I'll take it from there." Ichigo took a stronger grip on Kish's arm and lead him discreetly to the bar area, where he found the counter and took a seat. Ichigo awkwardly got up on the chair next to him, inwardly panicking at the thought of blowing their cover.

Almost immediately a tall, skinny demon with dark features came around to the two of them and grinned at Kish. He looked to be twice their age, but his eyes shown with the cunning of a young man.

"Got into some trouble, kid? You're not looking too hot." Kish's face lightened as he heard the man's voice. He grinned.

"You shoulda seen the other guy," Kish replied jokingly. "Nah, let's just say that I lost a bet."

"Got it. I'll make sure I tell that to the boys," the bartender replied with a smirk. Ichigo was lost in the exchange. She couldn't tell what the bartender was playing at with Kish.

"Hey kid, you gonna introduce me to your girl?" the bartender asked, jerking his head in the direction of Ichigo. She immediately flushed red and looked anxiously towards Kish, who snaked an arm around her waist and gave her a light squeeze.

"I'm sure you know her already, but let's call her Rae for tonight," Kish said to him, his voice lower this time. His arm left Ichigo's waist. The bartender raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk in Ichigo's direction.

"It's an honor to meet you," the bartender said to Ichigo with a nod. Ichigo barely caught it, but his lips mouthed the words "Your Highness". Ichigo tensed up, her eyes wide and her body stiff. He knew. It hadn't even been two minutes and already the first person they talked to figured out who she was. She didn't know whether to run for cover or try and act stupid. The bartender noticed her panicked reaction and laughed.

"Geez, kid, you didn't tell your girl anything about anything, did ya?" the bartender drawled.

"I told her some things," Kish argued.

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo squeaked in annoyance, her face morphing into an angry one at Kish's casual talk in the face of her fear. Both the bartender and Kish broke out laughing.

"Ok, Ichigo, calm down," Kish said with a grin. He leaned in closer to the side of Ichigo's face and whispered, "_The bartender's in on my identity. He's the only one, but he knows who you are too._"

"Couldn't you have told me that before we got here?" Ichigo growled, glaring at Kish. Kish simply shrugged and faced the bar again.

"I guess it slipped my mind," he mumbled. The bartender broke out laughing again. He extended a hand to Ichigo, which she took hesitantly.

"Name's Albrinkd," said the bartender. "I've been in on the secret since this little brat first snuck out. Saved him from a lot of trouble that night by covering his identity for him. Known him ever since." Albrinkd lifted Ichigo's hand to his face and kissed it. Ichigo, still a little unaccustomed to the gesture, went pink in the face, drawing her hand back and setting it on her lap.

"So tonight you'll be 'Rae'," Kish said to Ichigo. "Albrinkd here already came up with my name that night years ago. He, and the rest of the usuals at the bar, just call me 'Kid'. If anyone tries to get you to tell them my real name, just say my name is Kid. It happens all the time, trust me. People have been trying to get my name out of me as long as I've been coming here." Ichigo nodded understandingly.

"So Kid, what'll it be for you and the lady?" Albrinkd asked.

"Gin and tonic for me, painted rose for the lady," Kish replied instantaneously. Ichigo wondered at what Kish had just ordered her. It most certainly contained alcohol by the sound of it, but how much alcohol was in it?

"In a moment," Albrinkd said before whisking off to tend to the other patrons at the bar. Ichigo saw Kish relax against the wooden surface of the bar, crossing his arms in front of him and leaning on them as his eye-less face stared off into nowhere. A little smile still played on his face.

"So what else should I know about now, since now I'm aware that you've decided to make this into a game of 'let's throw a whole bunch of culture shock on Ichigo for fun'?" Ichigo muttered, elbowing Kish in the arm. Kish only smiled wider.

"Don't take it so hard, sweetheart," he said teasingly. "The only other surprise you'll be having tonight is finding out how well you can hold your liquor."

"Well that entirely depends on what you get me," Ichigo replied, resentment still playing on her voice. "What's a 'painted rose' anyway?"

"You'll find out when it gets here," Kish replied slyly, one side of his lips curling into a smirk. "But trust me when I say that you could probably hold ten of those before you even start to slur your words. I wouldn't give you something heavy from the get-go. That would be no fun."

Ichigo resisted the urge to protest against her drinking being "fun". She instead opted for a different conversation: "So, what's with the mixed race thing? I didn't even know a place like this existed."

Kish arched his back a breathed a deep breath before continuing. "Neither did I, until I got around to sneaking out and exploring my kingdom a bit more. You're not the only one fed up with all of the racial divides between the kingdoms. People from the human and angel kingdoms come here to the demon kingdom in order to mingle with the other races in bars like this one. It's all kept under wraps, of course. No one really speaks of it during the daytime, or in certain company. The way I see it, this is the way it was meant to be all along."

Ichigo turned to gaze across the packed floor. She saw a mixed crowd of men and women, some casually dressed, some not, all talking with each other, laughing with each other. Towards the back, near the band, some were casually swinging to the rhythm of the slow song the pianist was playing. Ichigo noticed the violinist had taken to the bar a few seats down from her. On the other side of the bar, she saw a demon girl and an angel boy with their lips locked in a kiss that was definitely too intimate to be considered acceptable for public.

"Ew," Ichigo murmured.

"What?" Kish asked curiously.

"Four seats to your right, there's a demon girl and an angel boy engaged in major face-smushing," Ichigo mumbled. Kish grinned.

"What, jealous?" Kish teased. "After all, they're not the only inter-racial couple here." Ichigo let out a "pfft" and rolled her eyes as Kish stole a kiss on her cheek anyway.

"You're getting good with your aim," came Ichigo's snide remark. Kish snickered at her words. Their attentions were diverted as the bartender returned with their drinks.

"Gin and tonic," he said, setting the drink before Kish. "And the painted rose," he said, setting Ichigo's drink before her. Ichigo eyed the glass warily. The drink was served in a black, opaque glass that had a twisted base, then curled out to hold the liquid. Ichigo couldn't distinguish the color of the drink, only the curiously purple color of the rose petal that floated on top of the liquid.

Kish's drink, made in a standard clear glass, was not nearly as elegant as Ichigo's. Kish raised his glass and turned to Ichigo.

"What are we toasting to, sweetheart?" he asked her coyly. Ichigo thought for a moment, running her fingertip idly along the rim of her glass.

Curling her fingers around its twisted base, she raised her glass and said, "To one last night."

Kish seemed hesitant to toast, lowering his glass slightly at the words.

"One last night before tomorrow," he said slowly, "and god knows what else. But it's going to be good."

Now that was something Ichigo could drink to.

* * *

_(a.n. - It's that magical time of the semester called finals week and man, has it been forever since I updated. Sorry about the wait, guys. I've been pretty jazzed to write this chapter and the one that comes next, because they're a lot more lighthearted than the ones we've had lately. Speaking of the chapters I've written lately, there was another huge drop in reviews this past chapter, and I'm not feeling too good about that. I'd say that I definitely push myself to update faster if I receive more reviews, positive or negative ones. I'll still finish this story regardless, but I can definitely say that getting reviews is one of the best motivators for just sitting down and getting these chapters typed out. So, please, drop me some feedback, and I can promise you that the next chapter will come much sooner. Thank you so much for reading! See you next chapter!  
**ademptio= "taking away"**)_


	25. ADEMPTIO::part 3

It was Ichigo's third painted rose before she started to feel a little strange. The drinks were delicious; she could hardly believe how good the burn of the alcohol felt as it slipped down her throat, a mild fruity flavor dancing on her tongue. Kish was on his second gin and tonic, this time, with a glass of water sitting beside it. Ichigo wasn't sure how long they had been at the bar. She guessed it had been a little less than an hour.

". . . so here I am, running down the hall stark naked, and Pie comes tearing after me but I'm too fast for him so he loses me. My favorite place to camp out was in the kitchen cabinets. The cooks hated it when they opened the cupboards and there I am with my naked ass sitting on top of a stack of clean plates, just grinnin' at em!" Kish laughed.

"Ok, now I'm one hundred percent sure that I had a boring childhood!" Ichigo grinned, taking another sip of her drink. "Naked hide and seek sounds like the best!"

"But it was only fun if the other party you were playing with was an unwilling one," Kish said with a grin. "You had to get them chasing after you first. It absolutely _mortified _the adults."

The two settled into a comfortable silence as Kish took another drink. The piano player was taking his turn at the bar now, the violinist playing some solo pieces.

"Hey Kid!" came a voice from behind Ichigo. She turned to see a burly human approaching them, drink in hand. His features were that of a pointy-eared dog Ichigo couldn't identify. Kish cracked a smile and turned to face the two.

"Flit, my man, how's it going?" he said to the man approaching them. The man by the name of Flit burst out laughing when he saw Kish's blindfold.

"Oy, Kid, what the hell happened?" he asked accusingly.

"Lost a bet," Kish mumbled. "Don't ask, man, it's embarrassing."

"Alright, alright, I'll let you off easy this time," Flit said with a wave of his hand. His eyes fell to Ichigo. "And who's this pretty little thing? You've got beautiful eyes, babe." Ichigo scowled disdainfully as Kish wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

"She's with me, dumbass," he said assertively, with a hint of aggression to his voice. Flit cracked a cheeky smile.

"Is that so? And what's your name sweetheart?" Flit asked Ichigo, tilting his head to one side.

"Rae," she grunted.

"Hm," mumbled Flit in seeming disappointment, his smile dying. "Awful small name for a girl like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo snapped.

"Ooo, damn Kid, this one's got a temper to match yours," Flit said, nudging Kish in the shoulder. Ichigo could feel that Kish was growing more irritated by the second. "What I meant was that you seem like you're an awful lot of a person to have a small name. I'm not calling you fat, sweetheart. Don't take everything so personally."

Ichigo rolled her eyes and faced away from the irritating friend of Kish's.

"Hey cutie, has anyone ever told you that you look almost exactly like that human princess?"

Ichigo, trying not to panic, reacted quickly by blurting out, "Only everybody I ever meet, that's all." She pretended to be annoyed while she was inwardly pleading that she didn't seem strange. It seemed to work, because Flint simply let out a hearty laugh.

"Damn, I'd be annoyed if I were you too, sweetheart," he said. Ichigo felt Kish's hand on her back and sensed his tension with this friend of his.

"Hey Flit, can you like, not talk to my girl? That'd be great," came Kish's accusatory voice. Ichigo was afraid, at first, that Flit would get violent. But he simply raised an eyebrow at Kish and sighed.

"Alright, dude, away I go." He turned to leave, then winked at Ichigo, flashing her a cheeky smile. "Nice meeting you, sweetheart."

Ichigo just narrowed her eyes at him and watched him as he turned and left. Kish let out a breath Ichigo didn't know he'd been holding.

"Dammit, can't stand that guy," Kish mumbled under his breath. "Sorry about that, Ich-kitten. He's one of my more annoying friends."

"Obviously," Ichigo groaned, taking another sip of her drink. The glass was almost empty. "Not all your friends are like that?"

"Pft, no," Kish said, scoffing. "Want me to introduce you to some of the nice ones?"

"Um, I guess?" Ichigo said uncertainly. She downed the rest of her drink. "I just dunno if I'm going to screw up around them. With the whole name thing, you know."

"You'll be fine," Kish said assuringly. He waved to the bartender, who came over in a few moments.

"What do I owe ya, Albrinkd?"

"It's on the house," the bartender replied with a grin, tipping his head to Ichigo. "In honor of the special lady." Ichigo smiled back at him.

"Thanks," she said, her voice filled with a genuine warmth.

"Anytime, ma'am," Albrinkd replied cordially. "After all, this is a place for all different types of people. Best of luck to you and that mess of a kid you've got hanging off your shoulder. He's not an easy one to manage, but I think you'll do alright."

Albrinkd turned to Kish and smirked.

"You behave yourself, Kid."

"Will do, sir," Kish replied smugly. He stepped down from his seat and offered his hand to Ichigo.

"Shall we?"

Ichigo took his hand and stepped down from her seat as well. She realized that she was beginning to lose her sense of balance, but managed to wobble to a standing position in her heels. Kish felt the movement of her gaining her balance through the strain on his hand. He slid his other hand along her shoulders and down to the small of her back, where it stayed.

"Getting a little tipsy?" he murmured snidely.

"Hardly," Ichigo was quick to reply. "It's just the heels. You try wearing them for a day and see how well you walk."

"I don't think it's the heels, sweetheart, but whatever you say," Kish said quietly. He cleared his throat and spoke a little louder, "Look around the room. Seated at one of the tables near to the front there should be a demon boy with red hair seated with a blonde demon girl. They probably have black-haired human kid with them too, with grey cat ears."

Ichigo looked around and immediately was able to spot the flaming red hair of a boy seated near the front. A blonde girl was cuddled up to him.

"No sign of the human one, but I see a red head and a blonde. Both demon."

"That'd be them," Kish said. "Let's go."

Ichigo led Kish over to the table near the violinist who was performing at the front of the crowd. As soon as they got near the table, the red-head looked up and grinned.

"Damn, Kid, what's with the blindfold?" he asked, grinning and raising an eyebrow. The blonde girl lifted her head, eyes darting between Kish and Ichigo.

"Lost a bet," Kish replied with a groan. "But seriously, I've been telling the story all night, so I'd rather not have to tell it again."

"I got time!" the demon said. He gestured to the chairs in front of him.

Ichigo, noting that Kish couldn't see this gesture, subtly nudged Kish and whispered ever so slightly, "Sit." Luckly, Kish caught on in an instant and reached out to pull a chair from the table.

"Rae?" Kish said cordially, gesturing to the chair with one hand. Ichigo momentarily forgot that "Rae" was her temporary name. She snapped to attention in a moment, though, and graciously accepted the seat. Kish pulled out a seat for himself and sat down, casually propping up his head with his hand.

"Ok, but seriously dude, I'm so damn tired of telling this story," Kish mumbled. Ichigo was impressed with Kish's acting. It was surprisingly believable. She supposed this was due to his frequent visitations to the bar over the years. "Can we just forget it?"

The red-headed boy rolled his eyes. "Alright, Kid, fine. But only if you introduce me to your girl."

Kish, obviously relieved for a change in topic, reached out and stroked Ichigo's back as he said, "This is Rae. It's her first time here, so be nice. She's not used to the whole mixed race thing."

The boy looked enlightened as he said, "Ahh. Yes. I remember how I felt the first time I found this place. It's quite a culture shock, huh, Rae?"

Ichigo nodded. "It'll take some getting used to," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Well let me help you out by getting you started with some new friends," the boy said, offering his hand. "I'm Dom, and this is Kassi." Like the bartender had done, as Ichigo's hand touched his, Dom lifted Ichigo's hand to his face and kissed it. The girl, Kassi, didn't look fazed.

"Pleasure to meet you," Ichigo said, smiling.

"Hey Kid, is this the one mystery girl you've been whining about for the past few months?" Dom asked, turning his attention to Kish. Kish let out a short laugh.

"Hah, well yeah, you could say that," he replied with uncertainty. "Finally got her out of her house to come here."

Dom smiled widely at Ichigo. "I've heard all about your super strict parents! Man, that sounds like it sucks! I'd hate to be stuck inside all day like you are!"

Ichigo, taken aback at Kish's apparent stories about her, replied: "You have no idea. Having hover-parents is just . . . ugh. The worst." She stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes. Dom laughed at her expression.

"Kassi here had some problems with that a few years ago," he said, nudging the silent blonde in the arm. Her lips curled into a smirk as he spoke, "But man, did I turn your life upside down, huh, Kassi? I mean, damn, you'd still be going to that awful private school if I didn't come along and save the day."

"I'd like to think that I saved my own day, thank you very much," said Kassi. Ichigo was entranced by her voice. It was warm, but sharp as a knife. Dom smiled at her fondly and kissed her head.

"Alright, alright, hon. You're right. You saved yourself."

Ichigo glanced towards Kish and saw that he was also smiling. Dom let out a sigh and turned his attention back to Kish and Ichigo.

"So, Kid, I brought my guitar and I was wondering if you wanna help me out tonight," Dom said. "Kassi said she'd be cool with doing piano if need be, but my voice hasn't been too hot lately and I'm wondering if you wanna do vocals."

Ichigo looked, surprised, from Dom to Kish. Kish shook his head.

"Dude, no way, not in front of the lady."

"Aw, come on man, don't be a little bitch about it," Dom teased, punching Kish lightly in the arm. "I'm sure she'd love to hear you."

"You can sing?" Ichigo asked Kish, she shock evident in her voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I can't sing!" Kish exclaimed with a nervous laugh. "I mean, I guess I can hit the notes and stuff, but I can't stand my voice!"

"Come on, Kid," Dom encouraged further, "You're the best vocalist in the house! I mean, hell, you don't have a real deep voice, but it's damn good anyway!"

Kish let out a loud, deep breath and said, "Alright, fine. You got me. But only one song."

"We'll see about that," Dom said with a mischievous grin. "C'mon, let's go take over for that poor violinist. He's been up there for a good twenty minutes. Looks to be getting tired."

Ichigo, superbly amused, watched in interest as Kish and Dom both rose from their seats, Kish somewhat reluctantly.

"Can't wait," Ichigo said to Kish with a smile.

Kish seemed to sense Ichigo's playful attitude towards this whole ordeal and said, "Don't laugh, ok?"

"Alright, I won't," Ichigo said. A corner of her mouth turned into a smirk as she added, "Impress me."

Dom, listening in on their exchange, raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Ooooo! Kid, your girl just gave you a challenge!"

"With her, it's always a challenge," Kish teased, kissing Ichigo on the head as she scoffed at his mocking of their tumultuous relationship. "Let's go, Dom."

Dom reached under the table and pulled out what Ichigo recognized to be a guitar. The two made their way up to the front of the room as Kassi slid into the seat next to Ichigo.

"Bunch of clowns, huh?" she said quietly.

"A charming kind of idiocy," Ichigo agreed with a smirk, amused at Kassi's observation.

The two girls watched Dom and Kish wait patiently to the side while the violinist finished his piece.

"How'd you meet?" Kassi asked suddenly. "You and Kid."

Ichigo wasn't sure how to reply at first. It took her a few moments before she said, "To be honest, he stalked me. It wasn't a very pleasant experience to begin with." Kassi smiled coyly.

"Cute," she said sarcastically. To Ichigo's relief, Kassi didn't try to pry any more details out of her.

"How about you and Dom?" Ichigo asked. Kassi let out a sigh and looked off into the distance.

"We bumped into each other at the library. He slipped me a note saying that I was the 'prettiest girl he had ever laid eyes on', and if I wanted to get to know him, I could meet him at . . . well, at the bar we're at now. I snuck out to go meet him. The rest is history."

"So, semi-stalking?" Ichigo said, trying to relate their two stories together.

"I guess you could say that," Kassi replied with a little smirk. "Depends on your definition of 'stalk'."

"Ok, how 'bout this-Dom was a category one stalker, while Kid is a category three stalker."

"What makes Kid category three?" asked Kassi, playing along with Ichigo's comparison.

"He hid in a tree and watched me in my backyard," Ichigo said with a laugh. Kassi looked confused.

"You have a backyard? Where do you live?" Ichigo, realizing that most people in the city didn't have yards, scrambled to make a quick recovery.

"I live a little ways out into the country. My family owns and acre or two. We have my mom's garden fenced off all around."

"I see," Kassi replied, her gaze falling back on the boys. Ichigo, inwardly relieved that Kassi had bought her story, breathed a sigh of relief. Then- "What's Kid's real name?"

Ichigo, panicked at first, laughed nervously. "He's just Kid," she said with a smile, trying to hide her anxiousness. This time, Kassi wasn't buying it. She stared into Ichigo's eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"No, you know his name. I know you do."

Ichigo's smile faded and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"He's just Kid," she repeated. Kassi continued to stare at her for an uncomfortably long time before she flicked her eyes away and closed them.

"I see," she murmured. "And your name's not really Rae."

Ichigo was sent into a panic, starting to sweat. She was sure that Kassi had figured out her secret.

"It's ok if you use your real name here," Kassi said. "I mean, I understand wanting to disguise your identity and all since this isn't the best place to be seen in, but I really don't think you need to worry as much as you are right now. After all, how would your parents find out anyway?"

Ichigo smiled, mostly because she was relieved that Kassi seemed to be wandering down a different trail of thought than Ichigo had initially thought. She provided no answer before Kassi continued speaking.

"Kid is a strange case, though," Kassi continued in a murmur. "I can't seem to figure him out; his personal life is so closed up to everyone. I guess it's just been bothering me for a while. His name, that is. Or, to be more precise, his real identity."

"Yeah," agreed Ichigo. "He's . . . different."

"But you know his name. His story," Kassi shot back. "I can see it in the way you look at him. You love him. And I suppose that's the reason why you're not going to tell me his name."

Ichigo smiled at Kassi and shook her head. "No, I'm not going to tell you. You're exactly right. You and I both know I couldn't betray him like that."

Kassi's face morphed into that small smile again. "Well, it was worth a shot."

"Sorry to disappoint-"

Ichigo was interrupted by Dom's voice yelling over the talking crowd. "Hey everybody, how's your night been?" He was answered by a slew of screams, fists pumping in the air, and clapping.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you probably know, Kid and I have been up here a few times in the past month or two, but tonight's a real special night 'cause we have in the audience a very special guest! Kid would like to dedicate this performance to his little sweetheart Rae!" Kish crossed his arms in front of him in (partially mocking) frustration.

"Damnit, Dom, I did NOT say that!" he yelled. The crowed laughed at his reaction, all eyes on the pair now.

". . . he also asks the audience, and I quote: 'Will you please stop asking about the damn blindfold?'," Dom teased, raising his voice to a slightly higher pitch to imitate Kish's. He was obviously relishing all the attention. The crowd laughed even louder, Ichigo giggling along with them. "Anyway, we're gonna start off with something we know pretty well to get Kid warmed up. Hope you like it!"

The crowd clapped and whistled, Ichigo and Kassi clapping along with them. Dom and Kish both pulled up stools that were lined along the walls and sat down. Kish cleared his throat as Dom tried the first note on his guitar. The crowd went quiet in anticipation.

Dom took a deep breath and plucked out a few delicate notes on the guitar. They were eerie, melodic, and made Ichigo curious for the tune of the song. Then, Kish's voice came.

_ "She paints her fingers with a close precision_

_ He starts to notice empty bottles of gin_

_ And takes a moment to assess the sin she's paid for."_

Ichigo's heart came to a screeching halt when she heard the sound of Kish's voice. It was brilliantly clear with a hint of his accent, and although it was indeed high-pitched, his voice slid between notes like a serpent weaving between brush—with absolute smoothness and a deadly subtlety. She felt like she was melting under the sound, her head growing hot.

_"Say what you mean, tell me I'm right_

_ And let the sun rain down on me_

_ Give me a sign, I wanna believe . . ."_

The note rose in his throat, Kish pulling it higher and higher in pitch, then dropping the note lower in perfect harmony with the last as Ichigo's jaw came loose, her eyes fixed on him and him only. Dom's guitar hit a crescendo as Kish's voice grew louder along with it, his hands clenching and unclenching while he sang.

_"Wooaah, Mona Lisa!_

_ You're guaranteed to run this town_

_ Woooaah, Mona Lisa,_

_ I'd pay to see you frown!"_

Again, Kish's voice danced through the notes with a precision that left Ichigo dumbfounded. She saw movement from off to her side and realized that Kassi was watching her with a smirk on her face.

"Kid is better than he gives himself credit for," Kassi said over the noise. Ichigo nodded slowly, eyes still locked on Kish.

"He's incredible . . ." she said absent-mindedly. She found himself totally entranced by his voice, similarly to how she found it so fascinating when she first heard him speak.

Kish came to the third verse, where Dom's guitar slowed to a drawling pace and Kish's voice followed the similar slow, silky rhythm. He seemed to realize he was doing well by that time; a smile played on his lips as he sang.

_"Mo – na – li- sa -_

_ Please to please ya,_

_ Mo – na – li – sa -_

_ Wear me out . . ."_

Ichigo was filled with something that she recognized to be pride. Pride in that this boy was _hers_. She hadn't had the feeling as strong as it was now—not even when Kish was crowned. But now she so strongly felt the strange, bubbly feeling of pride in the fact that he _loved her_. The effect his singing had on her was both confusing and fascinating to Ichigo. She wanted more.

The song came off of the chorus to slow down to the original eerie melody the song began with. Dom's guitar stopped playing for Kish to sing the last line a capella:

_"There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for . . ." _

As soon as the last note left Kish's lips, the whole room exploded in clapping and whistling. Ichigo didn't even think to clap. She was still stationary, dumbfounded with Kish's voice.

Kish and Dom both grinned, Dom naturally being the one to speak first. "Thanks, guys! That's one of our personal favorites."

Ichigo watched in curiosity as Kish's face morphed from a grin to a solemn look of thought. He leaned to the side and muttered something to Dom. Dom's expression went from concentrated to Kish's words to a sly smile. He nodded and said something in Kish's ear Ichigo couldn't hear. Then, he lifted his head.

"Alright, ladies and gents, we're going to do something a little different now. As I already mentioned, Kid has a special lady with him tonight, and he'd like to play something for her that's a little different from what we usually do. That alright with you folks?"

The crowd erupted in a chorus of "YEAH!" and more fists pumping in the air. Ichigo could only wonder what it was Kish would sing.

"Alright, here's to Kid's girl, Rae," Dom said, smiling directly at Ichigo and nodding to her. Ichigo smiled back, her face already red. Dom drew out a single chord before he started to strum a simple melody that was a much slower pace than the last song they played. It was simple, but beautiful, and a little sad. Kish took a deep breath and began to sing, his voice quiet, but full of emotion Ichigo could feel as soon as he first opened his lips.

_"It's three in the morning and I'm still not sleeping_

_ 'Cause I'm finally running your race._

_ The mountains you've been climbing seem like they have steepened_

_ Since I decided to pick up the pace."_

Unlike the last song, Ichigo felt like she would cry at the sound of Kish's voice. It was melodic and matched the tones of the guitar perfectly as it had in the last song, but the texture to it was no longer smooth. Kish sounded as if his words were having difficulty coming out of his throat, the sound of his voice holding a crackling quality.

_"If the whole world told me I should disappear_

_ Could I fall right next to you?"_

The last note of the line was high, and Kish seemed to struggle to reach it with his hoarse voice, but he continued on to the chorus, his voice growing in volume.

_"Just let me burn the night away_

_ Oh baby let me burn the night away_

_ By thinking of the simple things you say to me_

_ That get me through the day"_

The strength of his voice increased with the volume, but the hoarse quality to his voice remained.

_"You keep me wide awake_

_ You keep me wide awake"_

Dom's guitar paused as he muttered something to Kish. This time, Ichigo read his lips: "You okay?"

Kish nodded subtly. Ichigo saw him swallow hard before he took a deep breath and continued along with Dom's guitar.

_"So don't look back the hourglass is running empty_

_ You've got me buried with your every move_

_ Your fine lines have me at a loss of memory_

_ I'm right beside you in an empty room"_

Ichigo found herself shocked at the relevancy of the song to her relationship with Kish. It was no wonder why Kish had chosen to sing it. Ichigo wondered to herself how long Kish had thought of the song as one he would relate to her.

Kish and Dom reached a crescendo in the song, Dom's guitar growing louder as Kish's voice rose in strength with it.

_"You're making it hard for me to just start_

_ Over like we're new."_

Kish took a deep breath before his voice rose to the loudest Ichigo had heard it so far.

_"Ooh, the whole world told me I should disappear_

_ Cause I'm falling in love with you!"_

Then Ichigo felt it consume her. The raw emotion spilled out across the crowd and into Ichigo as she listened, consuming, devouring every word he said. As Kish continued in a different, more minor key than he had sung before, Ichigo's eyes began to fill with tears.

_"Just let me burn the night away,_

_ Oh baby let me burn the night away_

_ By thinking of the simple things you say to me_

_ That get me through the day_

_ And it's so hard to catch your feelings when you_

_ Always run away_

_ You keep me wide awake_

_ You keep me wide . . . awake."_

Just as the song ended Ichigo realized that her face was wet with tears. She made no effort to wipe them away as the words of the song echoed in her head. The crowd around her was silent for a few moments, then slowly, they began to clap for the duo. Kish's face gradually stretched into a smile along with Dom's ever-present grin. Dom's face fell, however, when he looked to Ichigo.

"Kid, my man," he yelled to Kish over the crowd, "You made your girl cry!"

Kish's face fell instantly and he scrambled off of the platform the two were on and began to weave his way through the crowd as it parted for him. Ichigo rose to meet him, practically running as the two connected into an warm, strong embrace. Ichigo buried her face in Kish's chest as the crowd let out a chorus of "awww"s.

"Let's give this couple a round of applause, guys," Dom yelled. Everyone cheered and clapped for the two as they solemnly held each other.

"You alright, kitten?" Kish murmured into Ichigo's hair. Ichigo found it surprising to hear Kish's talking voice once more.

"Yes," she breathed into his shirt. "I've never felt better."

"Alright, I think Kid and I are gonna call it a night," Dom said finally, seeing that Kish and Ichigo seemed unwilling to separate. He was met with a few "awws" and "boos", but they were few and far between. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! Have a good night." The crowd let out one last chorus of clapping before settling back into the usual chatter.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ichigo finally released Kish from her embrace to rub her eyes, which were messily streaked with her makeup.

"Sorry I'm such an emotional mess," she said with a half-hearted laugh. Kish let out a breath of air as he smirked.

"It's ok, I am too."

"Must be the drinks," Ichigo added.

"Must be," Kish said in agreement.

Ichigo lifted her eyes to look at Kish and noticed something strange. His wings were . . . furry? There were little hair-like strands emerging from his wings. That's when it dawned on her. Ichigo's eyes grew wide in panic as she got on her tip toes to whisper in Kish's ear, "Kish! Your wings! They're changing back!"

"Shit," Kish cussed under his breath. He wrapped his arms around Ichigo tightly. "Hold your breath!"

Ichigo barely had time to suck in a breath of air before she felt her and Kish dropping into a teleportation he opened up on the ground. They fell through and landed hard on the graciously soft surface of the bed in their room. They both bounced as they hit the bed and Ichigo let out a giggling shriek as she toppled over across Kish. He joined in her laughing as she got off of him.

"Well that was close!" Kish exclaimed. "Thank god I was out of the spotlight before the elixir started to wear off."

Ichigo sighed and smiled at Kish fondly. The little spines on his wings were thickening into feathers once more, his wings gradually beginning to increase in size once more. Now more than ever, Ichigo wished he had his eyes.

"Your voice is incredible," Ichigo murmured. "Why didn't you say anything about it before?"

Kish shrugged. "Like I said before, I can't stand my singing voice. Other people seem to like it, but to me I sound . . . whiney."

"I didn't think that at all," Ichigo argued. "You sounded genuine."

Kish's smirk crept back up on his face. "So you liked it? The last song?"

"Pfft," Ichigo scoffed, "You saw the sobbing mess that it made me. Of course I liked it. I loved it."

"Not exactly," Kish said quietly. "I couldn't see you. I wouldn't have known if Dom hadn't said anything."

Ichigo was silent, regretting her choice of words instantly. Kish heard the silence, and his face fell as the silence lengthened.

"You made up for it," Ichigo whispered.

"What?" Kish murmured, confused.

"You made up for it. The emotion that lies in your eyes. It was in your voice. I heard your emotion as clearly as I see it in your eyes."

"You mean the lyrics?"

"No, your voice," Ichigo corrected quickly. "The emotion was in your voice. I felt it. I loved it. It was so real . . . so _raw_. I felt it in my bones."

"I'm not that good of a singer. You felt _alcohol_ in your bones," Kish said with a grin. Ichigo rolled her eyes and reached out to run a hand through Kish's hair, pulling the slouchy hat off of his head.

"God, Kish, you were fantastic. Now will you shut up and kiss me already?"

Kish's grin spread even wider as his hands found Ichigo's face. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

It was a cool evening, the temperatures dropping to a near-freezing level as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Winter was setting in. Ichigo clutched at the sides of the black velvet cloak she wore, the hood tossed over her head. Next to her, Kish walked with a protective arm around her body, the cold, blue light of his eye sockets exposed without his blindfold. They were accompanied by nearly a hundred soldiers bearing swords and bows, all following behind the couple in a v-formation as they walked solemnly to the field just outside of the southern gate. Pie was among them, walking quietly with the company near the front of the lines.

The ground below their feet was covered in overgrown, browning grass, reaching up to mid-calf. Once they had gotten a safe distance from the buzz of the city's outskirts, Kish stopped and raised a hand to indicate that the rest of the soldiers were to stop as well. Immediately they fell into formation behind Kish, standing at the ready as they prepared for the appearance of whatever party would come for Ichigo.

Ichigo's nervous eyes darted around the vacant hills that rolled past the city and tumbled into a distant forest. There was no one in sight. She glanced up at Kish. The light of the setting sun reflected against the gold crown he wore, the snakes appearing as a warm shade of red. Kish seemed to sense Ichigo's eyes on him.

"One week, Ichigo. That's all."

Ichigo tried swallowing her anxiety, training her eyes on Kish's face. Hearing that Ichigo was unwilling to speak further, Kish added: "You're untouchable. Don't let them intimidate you. And don't let them tell you otherwise. You and I both know the power you have over them."

Ichigo's eyes flicked away from Kish at the sight of the sun's last sliver of light poking out from over the hills. "Here they come," Ichigo murmured as the little sliver shined, then disappeared as the sun hid behind the horizon line.

With absolute precision in timing, the air a hundred feet in front of Kish and his men began to shimmer. Kish's men switched to a defensive stance. Ichigo felt Kish's arm tense up, gripping Ichigo's side tighter.

The posse that came to fetch Ichigo was not what she expected. Its ranks—about one hundred in number—mostly consisted of angels, soldiers Ichigo didn't recognize. But there was the occasional human solider mixed in with them. Masaya was nowhere to be seen. One of the angels, dressed more elaborately than the rest, stepped forward. In his hands there was a wooden box the size of a shoe box.

"Your Majesty," he addressed Kish. Kish raised an eyebrow.

"I don't recognize your voice," he said. "To whom am I speaking?"

"Prince Masaya's captain of the guard," the angel replied. Kish scowled.

"So he sent someone else to do his dirty work? Pathetic." His grip on Ichigo tightened. "Did you bring the eyes?"

"Yes, they're in my hands," the captain replied. "Send Ichigo over and I'll hand them to you."

Kish let out a short laugh. "That's funny. Do you think I'm an idiot? No, what's going to happen is I'm going to send Ichigo in between us. You will hand the box to her. She will walk over to me and give it to me. Then you retrieve her."

"Now you hope to take me for a fool," the captain said disdainfully.

"Hm? Do I sense an air of distrust towards the dear princess?" Kish teased. "She will walk to you. Then to me. And back to you. Unless you have a better idea, this seems to be the best solution for both of us."

Ichigo watched as the captain's eyes narrowed. He whispered something to the man standing next to him. The man nodded.

"Fine. We'll do it your way," the captain said. He walked to the center of the field. "Walk ten paces forward."

Kish complied, taking his time to walk the ten paces it took to get him closer to the center of the two parties. He still gripped Ichigo tightly in one arm. Ichigo's heart was pounding at the impending trade. She would soon be leaving with these strangers, and who knows what would happen afterwards.

At the tenth pace, Kish stopped. He bent his head down and gave Ichigo a tender kiss on the head.

"Be strong," he whispered to her. Ichigo took a deep breath and nodded, eyes trained on the angel captain ahead of her, who was holding the wooden box that meant Kish's life.

Slowly, she began to walk towards the angel, Kish's hand gently falling off of her body until she could feel his touch no more. She threatened—challenged, even—the angel captain with her eyes as she kept her sight trained on him. She didn't walk far before she extended her hands, allowing the angel to place the wooden box in her grip. She turned around and walked slowly back to Kish. She heard the captain following her as she walked, along with a second pair of feet. Ichigo internally groaned at his distrust in her. She stopped before Kish, staring into his shining eye sockets as he lifted his hands to touch Ichigo's. Slowly, he slipped the box out of her shaking hands.

The moment Ichigo's fingertips left the box, she felt like she had been punched in the stomach by a sudden arm around her middle. Another arm grabbed her around the shoulders, a third snatching at her hair. She let out a panicked shriek as she was dragged backwards thrashing. Kish reacted instantly, snatching at the handles of the golden whips that lay in the box and forcing them inside of his eyes.

"KISH!" Ichigo screamed in desperation before she felt a hand clamp over her mouth. There were angels and humans alike surrounding her from all sides, all trying to keep her from struggling. She felt her hands being tied behind her back. She opened her mouth and bit down on the hand over her mouth. Hard. The hand left her mouth with a howl from its owner, and Ichigo shrieked again.

Kish's eyes slid into place, his eyes restored to their firey, intense gaze. He lifted their golden hues to the scene unraveling before him. The first thing he saw was a bulky angel standing behind Ichigo raising the blunt end of his sword and clubbing Ichigo over the head with it. Her screams died as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her whole body slumping over into the arms of her captors as she lost consciousness. Then, the air around the mass of angels and humans began to shimmer.

"ICHIGO!" Kish screamed. He dashed forward as fast as his legs could carry him, extending an arm towards Ichigo's limp body as he watched her image fade. He reached out to touch her, but he only grasped at empty air.

Kish was silent, looking at the empty space where Ichigo had been. Overwhelmed by shock, he struggled to move. He dropped to his knees, continuing to stare out into the empty field before him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Pie.

"Kish, I'm sorry."

Kish remained deathly silent. The two sat in silence for an antagonizing minute before Pie noticed Kish's hands clenching into fists.

"I'm going to kill them."

Pie heard Kish hiss the words with a deadly animosity. Kish turned his head to look Pie in the eye. Pie was taken aback by the look Kish held. It was murderous. Firey. Bloodthirsty. His intensely golden eyes spoke to the hate that twisted at his heart. Kish spoke between clenched teeth.

"I'm going. To kill. Them all. Just wait. They will suffer for what they have done to her."

* * *

_(a.n. As promised, I was able to update a LOT quicker with all of the motivation from the fantastic reviews I received! Thank you so much for your encouragement. As you can probably tell, this is the beginning of the end of this story. We've only got a few more chapters left! Are you getting excited or what? :) Like I said last chapter, the more reviews I get for this chapter, the more encouraged I'll be to spend more time on this, in order to update quicker. Please, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, or the story overall! I'd love to hear your comments. Until next time!  
Oh, and before I forget, the first song Kish and Dom are playing is "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" by Panic! at the Disco. The second song is "Burn the Night Away" by There for Tomorrow. I would HIGHLY recommend you listen to "Burn the Night Away" either while reading this chapter or after. It's an incredibly emotional, beautiful song, and the main singer from There for Tomorrow has my headcanon voice for Kish's singing voice. Ok, that's my little commercial break. Thanks!)_


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